In March 2016, Joe Rogan said it perfectly: Nate Diaz shook up the world.
The longtime UFC veteran stepped into the most monumental fight of his career, when he took a short-notice headliner against Conor McGregor at UFC 196.
Originally, McGregor was supposed to face then-lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. But just days before the bout, a broken foot forced the Brazilian off the card.
A large betting favorite, Diaz sent shockwaves through the MMA world when he defeated the then-145-pound king. The win occurred in come-from-behind fashion, after Diaz had been battered for much of the first round. The Stockton, Calif. native was swollen and beaten at the start of the second round, but he was not broken.
When McGregor’s cardio began to give out in the second, Diaz turned up the volume. After a one-two combination stunned McGregor, Diaz poured on the attack as the Irishman retreated.
A desperate McGregor shot for a takedown and was swiftly stuffed. From there, the BJJ blackbelt mounted, pounded, and choked McGregor into submission – all the while blood streamed down his face.
The bout set up an immediate rematch at UFC 200. But after McGregor skipped a pre-fight press conference, the bout was canceled and rescheduled for UFC 202 in August 2016.
With Diaz finally returning at UFC 241 to fight Anthony Petits, the UFC has made the Diaz-McGregor classic free to watch. You can check out Diaz’s memorable submission victory at UFC 196 in the video above.
