Sunday 21 August 2016 17:03, UK
What have we learned from Conor McGregor beating Nate Diaz in their UFC 202 rematch? Five talking points...
McGregor is better than we thought…
The one-punch knockout power and accurate boxing skills of McGregor have propelled him to the pinnacle of the UFC ladder in three years but they have also masked his perceived weaknesses. Can he defend himself on the ground, and can he still be effective into the 25th minute?
The first fight with endurance-machine Diaz suggested not, so the rematch required McGregor to demonstrate new skills that have never been coaxed out of him. Accustomed to blitzing foes quickly, he withheld his energy to last the distance like a sprinter running a marathon. In Olympic terms, this was Usain Bolt beating Mo Farah at his own game.
The kicks that McGregor utilised to turn Diaz's leg into a bruised, purple state were new to the arsenal. His trademark left punch was less frequent but saved for the most effective moments. And, crucially, he managed the clock with a professional efficiency that means future opponents can't pin their hopes on previous flaws that he expertly expunged.
Did this result save McGregor's career?
If you're walking around in the Vegas sunshine wearing three-piece suits with something to say about everything and everyone, you'd better win. McGregor may have found it difficult to maintain his enticing shtick with back-to-back losses.
Even after one defeat, the pre-fight trash talk was respectfully toned down in favour of extra practice in the gym. What could McGregor possibly say about his next fight if Diaz upended him again?
He would have retained his featherweight world title regardless of the result and nothing can take away the stunning knockout of pound-for-pound great Jose Aldo who was previously the sole incumbent of that belt.
But McGregor on a two-fight skid would have been dangerously close to becoming a lukewarm version of the mighty Irishman who stormed up the rankings on a cocktail of charisma and craft.
Was the judges' decision correct?
McGregor won via majority decision after two judges deemed he won three out of five rounds, with the third judge scoring a draw. Their choices likely came down to the scoring of the second round when the pendulum began to swing.
McGregor, in the first minute of that round, put Diaz on the floor twice with the same punch down the pipe. Diaz never looked in danger of being finished during these hazardous moments, and attempted to capitalise as McGregor tired towards the conclusion of the round. Diaz piled forwards, having his greatest success in the last minute before the bell gave McGregor a reprieve.
Deciding whether McGregor's fast start or Diaz's impressive end won the competitive second round effectively decides who won the fight.
Bravery rewarded...
Part of the excitement that has followed McGregor in the past three years is his willingness to risk his progress with a series of Russian Roulette-style gambles.
He would insist that far more experienced opponents wouldn't last beyond a few minutes, and would knock them out accordingly. When scheduled rivals withdrew injured, McGregor handily accepted short-notice replacements with entirely different skill-sets - most notably in his hometown against Diego Brandao, then against Chad Mendes when he expected to fight world champion Aldo.
Such dice rolling went inevitably wrong when McGregor, 10 days before challenging lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos to become an unprecedented double-champion, accepted Diaz as a last-minute replacement.
A change of attitude for the most lucrative fighter in the sport would have been well-advised yet McGregor insisted upon a quick turnaround to rematch Diaz at welterweight, 25lbs above the division where he is champion. It was his boldest move at the poker table so far. He who dares…
What more can he prove?
Playing with fire will eventually get you burned. McGregor deserves immense credit for navigating through the Diaz storm unharmed but he must not make a habit of these occasions.
He has a finger in three pies - featherweight, lightweight and welterweight - but a long-term decision looms.
Diaz, in truth, is a lightweight who stepped up a division meaning there is little appetite to see McGregor dwarfed by a true 170lbs athlete such as Tyron Woodley.
Even the biggest men at lightweight would cause McGregor significant strength and size issues but that may be where his future home lies. The next chapter awaits.
