Today the nine-year anniversary of one of the greatest underdog victories in the history of UFC; When Nate Diaz shocked the world with a 'infamous' subjugation.
The year is 2016 and UFC Vederweight Champion Conor McGregor is preparing for lightweight Rafael Dos Anjos champion in the hope of claiming a second world title.
Nevertheless, RDA pulls itself only a few weeks before that champion weather camp showdown pulls out of the event with a broken foot, and in its place the UFC calls on promotion veteran Nate Diaz.
Photo by Christian Petersen/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Nine years ago today: Nate Diaz choked Conor McGregor
Although Diaz was generally seen as one of the best light weights in the world, the Californian was also seen as a somewhat a gatekeeper; After having gone 2-2 after his only defeat of the world title against Benson Henderson in 2012.
On the contrary, Conor McGregor flew high as the undisputed champion featherweight, with his legendary knockout of 13 seconds about Jose Aldo JR who arrived only a few months earlier.
To say the bone, McGregor was expected to walk Diaz, with no fewer than 77% of the tapology uniform picks that went in favor of the Irishman – of whom the majority still predicted a 'notorious' TKO victory.
The first round largely went that way, with McGregor's sharp, striking opening of one, two, too many cuts around Diaz's face to keep track of … but in the second things started to take a turn.
For about three minutes in round two, Diaz landed a beautiful left hand that heavily staggered the featherweight champion. In the next two minutes, Diaz continued to run through fire around McGregor again, and again, and to tag again.
The seasoned striker would then shoot for a Takedown who, against an entry specialist such as Diaz,, in essence, a death sentence was the native Stockton struck the top position and when the opportunity occurred, his now notorious behind naked choke.
Response to Nate Diaz that McGregor submits, shows the scale of the upset
It is safe to say that the wider MMA world jointly lost its mind when McGregor used the RNC, where Dana White later labeled the match as' almost the greatest fight ever.
“This is what this thing was built to be, and it lived on everything it had to be, it was great.”
Andre Fili went to X to write: “The whole room just lost their mind”, while Jorge Masvidal teased that he Diaz “a steak dinner for that.”
“Wow what a night! Everything can happen in this sport, which can make a difference for a few months, weeks, days. That's why I love my sport! “Stefan Struve, with Derek Brunson who also inched:” MMA is a crazy sport, there is no sport like it! “
That is the first time I saw a Gazelle eating a lion.
– Will Brooks (@illxwillbrooks) March 6, 2016
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Tapology is currently ranking Diaz vs McGregor 1 as the 35th biggest fight in history, the 9th largest entry of all time, and the eighth greatest upset in the history of promotion.
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