UFC 202: The Good, Bad and Strange
UFC 202: The Good, Bad and Strange
Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz went toe-to-toe for their long awaited rematch at UFC 202
The biggest fight of 2016 went down on Saturday night at UFC 202 in Las Vegas.
Conor McGregor, the promotion's biggest active star, stepped into the Octagon looking for redemption. Since his arrival to the sport's biggest stage back in 2013, McGregor has become the very face of the fight game with a solid-gold mouthpiece and the skills to back up every inch of his talk.
Simply put: McGregor looked unstoppable--and continued to do so right up to the point where Nate Diaz forced him to tap to a rear-naked choke.
Chaos reigned supreme in the aftermath of UFC 196. Diaz, who had long sought his due, finally claimed the spotlight (and payday) he believed he'd been deserving of for years, while the man fit to be king of mixed martial arts saw his meteoric rise stunted at in the second round of a hectic affair.
Even though McGregor was bested that night in March, those who suspected he'd roll out excuses or go radio silent were instantly proven wrong. McGregor took the loss straight on, and vowed to return the favor to his newly minted rival.
The UFC wasted no time booking the rematch, but McGregor's refusal to fulfill media obligations resulted in him being pulled from the bout against Diaz at UFC 200. In turn McGregor threatened retirement and Diaz checked out to go on vacation.
All the kinks would eventually be worked out, and Saturday night at UFC 202, the long-awaited rematch came to fruition.
Both men came in on full camps, primed for war with no excuses ready to put their respective legacies on the line. McGregor predicted a second-round victory, while Diaz rallied neutral with his signature "Kill or be killed" approach.
Nevertheless, there was only going to be one man's hand raised and the night would belong to McGregor.
The fight lived up to every bit of hype as both men gave everything they had throughout the 25-minute affair. Much like their first dance it was McGregor who led the way in the early goings, and Diaz who turned it on late. McGregor landed power shots and Diaz brought the volume, but when the final bell sounded "The Notorious" found his redemption in the most crucial moment of his career.
Let's take a look at the good, bad and strange from UFC 202.
Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz put on a fight for the ages at UFC 202.
Where this space is normally relegated to the victor of the most important fight of the night, it would be damn near criminal to not mention what both Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz put on display Saturday night in Las Vegas.
McGregor came into the tilt with his superstardom backed up against the wall. For everything he's earned in the fight business, the Irishman is also savvy enough to know it could all be taken away. He came into UFC 202 knowing a second loss to Diaz would potentially collapse everything he built, and the SBG Ireland leader came out fighting in a fashion that reflected that urgency.
Much like the first tilt it was McGregor's speed and power that made the difference early. He connected with several heavy bombs that put Diaz on the canvas, and put him in the driver's seat through the majority of the first two rounds. That said, just like their first go, Diaz switched gears late in the second just as McGregor seemingly downshifted and slowed.
From the start of the third round until the bitter bloody end both men emptied out their respective tanks and put on a fight that will not be forgotten anytime soon. And while two of the cageside judges saw the fight for McGregor, there isn't a single fight fan out there who doesn't want to see a third fight between these two warriors.
The "can't miss" fight is a hard atmosphere to manufacture and even harder to fulfill, but somehow, no matter the circumstances, Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz always find a way.
Since their rivalry began the argument has been whether or not it's "The Conor Show" or "The Diaz Show", and at UFC 202 they proved beyond a shadow of a doubt the McGregor/Diaz show is an unbeatable ticket.
Anthony Johnson is a monster in human form. There's no other way to explain it.
While "Rumble's" power is well documented, the Blackzilians leader outdid himself once again at UFC 202 by melting a historically durable Glover Teixeira with one clean shot. The Brazilian came out aggressive looking to land heavy shots of his own, but ducked into a Johnson uppercut that put his lights out with the quicks. Johnson's punch landed and Teixeira's limp body crashed to the canvas.
The punch was so nasty and put Teixeira so far into the stratosphere he single legged the referee upon coming back to the here and now. And while Johnson was satisfied with his performance, he utilized his microphone time to the utmost by calling out champion Daniel Cormier for a rematch. "D.C." is the only man to defeat Johnson since he returned to the UFC back in 2014, and three-straight devastating knockouts should be enough to lock down another shot at the light heavyweight strap regardless of what may or may not happen with embattled former king Jon Jones.
It's hard to believe a fighter with as much experience as Donald Cerrone is getting better but it's absolutely happening.
The perennial lightweight contender turned some heads by jumping up a weight class to start 2016, and Cerrone has validated his decision to do so with one violent performance after the next. On Saturday night at UFC 202 Rick Story became the latest victim.
While Story was able to make things gritty in the early goings, Cerrone found his space and began to work his game in the latter half of the opening round. Cerrone landed combinations that put Story in retreat, then closed off the Octagon to keep the Washington state native within range. Coming out in the second round "Cowboy" looked fresh and crisp as he pinged Story with multiple shots at every turn.
The Jackson/Winkeljohn product stung Story with a body shot which set up a left hook/right kick combination all of which landed with pinpoint precision. Story spun around hurt and Cerrone swarmed in for the finish to pick up his third-straight victory in the welterweight ranks. With that type of momentum Cerrone would be poised to pull a huge fight in the 170-pound fold, but in signature Cerrone fashion he kept things live and fresh by calling out current 155-pound champion Eddie Alvarez for a title showdown.
While there are undoubtedly several fighters in that divisional race who could lay a stronger claim to a title shot, Cerrone it simply that dude. He's stepped up to fight time and time again, and there would be little argument from the MMA community if the UFC were to grant him his wish.
Mike Perry came into his UFC debut with an unblemished record and he'll leave Las Vegas the same way.
The 24-year-old Floridian jumped into deep waters by facing heavy-hitting Hyun Gyu Lim but it was Perry who dealt out the punishment at UFC 202. Perry's power made all the difference as he knocked Lim around the Octagon with everything he threw. Even though Lim held tough as long as he could, Perry's attack was relentless. He finished the bout with a bevy of big shots and put an impressive cap on a memorable debut.
Tim Means is back ladies and gentlemen.
"The Dirty Bird" did a stint on the sidelines due to a USADA violation, but he returned with force at UFC 202. The Albuquerque native pieced up late replacement Sabah Homasi with a brutal onslaught of elbows, knees and punches. Means opened Homasi up early and kept the pressure applied full tilt until referee Herb Dean jumped in to stop the fight.
While Means' suspension took him out of the picture for a bit, his overall record over the past two years can't be denied. Aside from a loss to Matt Brown in what was a barnburner of a scrap, Means has won six fights in the past 25 months. That's an impressive feat by any measure, and his performance on Saturday night in Las Vegas should guarantee a bigger name comes for his next bout.
If the bantamweight division's elite weren't keen on Cody Garbrandt before Saturday night they sure as hell are now.
The brick-handed Team Alpha Male standout added another impressive notch to his climb up the 135-pound ranks by leveling Takeya Mizugaki via first-round knockout. In what is becoming the Ohio native's signature style, Garbrandt pressed the action and unleashed his hands until his opponent hit the canvas.
Following his knockout over Thomas Almeida there was buzz for a title shot, but that talk became amplified after his win at UFC 202. During his post-fight interview Garbrandt issued a challenge to champion Dominick Cruz, and the camera cut away to "The Dominator" welcoming the ruckus.
All hype aside, there's no other fighter at 135-pounds who deserves the shot as much as Garbrandt, and a matchup with Cruz is a tilt fight fans can get behind.
Lorenz Larkin has looked like an absolute nightmare since dropping down to welterweight.
Save for a split-decision loss to Albert Tumenov, Larkin has looked damn near unstoppable at 170-pounds. The California native took another huge step on Saturday night as he pounded out a fighter known for his durability in Neil Magny.
While Larkin has historically struggled getting out of the gates, that wasn't the case on Saturday as he stalked Magny down and chopped away at his opponent's legs. The damage immediately began to show and Magny struggled to get out of range from Larkin's onslaught.
Once Larkin saw Magny hobbling, he poured on the pressure and pounded out the stoppage midway through the opening round. With the win, Larkin has now found success in four of his five showings at welterweight in the UFC.
Colby Covington has successfully carved out his place in what is perhaps the deepest division under the UFC.
The 28-year-old utilized his strong wrestling pedigree to grind out Max Griffin en route to picking up the TKO finish in the third round of their tilt at UFC 202. It was all Covington from the opening bell until the referee stepped in to stop the fight as he picked up his second consecutive victory inside the Octagon.
Covington has shown solid progression since his debut back 2014, as he's found victory in all but one of his six showings under the UFC banner.
With so much emphasis put on the main event bout between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz, someone thought it would be a good idea to have their teammates get to scrapping as well. Perhaps the UFC thought it would be a preview of what was to come at the end of the night?
Wrong.
Chris Avila from the Diaz camp squared off with Artem Lobov from the SBG crew, and what ensued was easily the worst fight of the night.
How bad was it? Let's take a look at what Twitter thought?
[tweet url=" https://twitter.com/BR_MMA/status/7671612601440665..." hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
But was it really that bad?
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/SandhuMMA/status/7671611603827..." hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Okay okay. Perhaps the fight was too technical for the layperson to understand and it takes the opinion of a real fighter to appreciate the magic.
[tweet url=" https://twitter.com/MMARLONMORAES/status/767160919..." hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Then again sometimes there's no way to dress things up. Lobov picked up his first win and the fight couldn't end quick enough.
Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor colliding once more inside the Octagon was a fight that every red-blooded fight fan wanted to see, but the reason the tilt went down at welterweight is still a mystery.
Reports as to why were conflicting, with both camps saying at some point expressing their intentions to do the fight at 155-pounds. Yet, the rematch was booked at welterweight, which is a weight class Diaz hasn't competed in for years and one McGregor has never called home.
So what was the point of running the fight back at 170?
Outside of the McGregor's claim he wanted to prove he could defeat Diaz at the weight they initially clashed at, the only other logical theory leans toward marketability on the Irishman's side.
Prior to being submitted by Diaz at UFC 196 back in March, the McGregor express was barrelling full steam toward a becoming a two-divisional champion. Granted, "Notorious" would've had to get through Rafael dos Anjos to make that claim, but there was a clear picture being painted in the lead up to UFC 196--one that seemed as if McGregor would have free reign to go after any belt he wanted.
Then-champion Robbie Lawler's welterweight crown was even a potential target had everything worked out at UFC 196, but that talk went belly up in the water following Diaz's rear-naked choke victory.
And speaking of belts, even after grabbing the biggest chunk of spotlight he's ever known in his career, Diaz didn't seem all too interested in parlaying his leverage into a title shot at lightweight. Instead, Diaz wanted the biggest money fight available, and there's no bigger payday in MMA then standing opposite of Conor McGregor.
Therefore the rematch was made, but it still makes very little sense it had to happen at welterweight. Stranger yet, even after McGregor's hand was raised at the end of the raucous 25-minute bloodbath, he suggested their inevitable trilogy match take place at 155-pounds.
While a lightweight collision between the two makes far more sense than either of their fights at 170-pounds, it still doesn't make a ton of sense in the grand scheme of things. Nevertheless, we'll all tune in to watch because what he saw on Saturday night at UFC 202 will keep us coming back for more.
Conor McGregor, the promotion's biggest active star, stepped into the Octagon looking for redemption. Since his arrival to the sport's biggest stage back in 2013, McGregor has become the very face of the fight game with a solid-gold mouthpiece and the skills to back up every inch of his talk.
Simply put: McGregor looked unstoppable--and continued to do so right up to the point where Nate Diaz forced him to tap to a rear-naked choke.
Chaos reigned supreme in the aftermath of UFC 196. Diaz, who had long sought his due, finally claimed the spotlight (and payday) he believed he'd been deserving of for years, while the man fit to be king of mixed martial arts saw his meteoric rise stunted at in the second round of a hectic affair.
Even though McGregor was bested that night in March, those who suspected he'd roll out excuses or go radio silent were instantly proven wrong. McGregor took the loss straight on, and vowed to return the favor to his newly minted rival.
The UFC wasted no time booking the rematch, but McGregor's refusal to fulfill media obligations resulted in him being pulled from the bout against Diaz at UFC 200. In turn McGregor threatened retirement and Diaz checked out to go on vacation.
All the kinks would eventually be worked out, and Saturday night at UFC 202, the long-awaited rematch came to fruition.
Both men came in on full camps, primed for war with no excuses ready to put their respective legacies on the line. McGregor predicted a second-round victory, while Diaz rallied neutral with his signature "Kill or be killed" approach.
Nevertheless, there was only going to be one man's hand raised and the night would belong to McGregor.
The fight lived up to every bit of hype as both men gave everything they had throughout the 25-minute affair. Much like their first dance it was McGregor who led the way in the early goings, and Diaz who turned it on late. McGregor landed power shots and Diaz brought the volume, but when the final bell sounded "The Notorious" found his redemption in the most crucial moment of his career.
Let's take a look at the good, bad and strange from UFC 202.
The Good
Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz put on a fight for the ages at UFC 202.
Where this space is normally relegated to the victor of the most important fight of the night, it would be damn near criminal to not mention what both Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz put on display Saturday night in Las Vegas.
McGregor came into the tilt with his superstardom backed up against the wall. For everything he's earned in the fight business, the Irishman is also savvy enough to know it could all be taken away. He came into UFC 202 knowing a second loss to Diaz would potentially collapse everything he built, and the SBG Ireland leader came out fighting in a fashion that reflected that urgency.
Much like the first tilt it was McGregor's speed and power that made the difference early. He connected with several heavy bombs that put Diaz on the canvas, and put him in the driver's seat through the majority of the first two rounds. That said, just like their first go, Diaz switched gears late in the second just as McGregor seemingly downshifted and slowed.
From the start of the third round until the bitter bloody end both men emptied out their respective tanks and put on a fight that will not be forgotten anytime soon. And while two of the cageside judges saw the fight for McGregor, there isn't a single fight fan out there who doesn't want to see a third fight between these two warriors.
The "can't miss" fight is a hard atmosphere to manufacture and even harder to fulfill, but somehow, no matter the circumstances, Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz always find a way.
Since their rivalry began the argument has been whether or not it's "The Conor Show" or "The Diaz Show", and at UFC 202 they proved beyond a shadow of a doubt the McGregor/Diaz show is an unbeatable ticket.
Anthony Johnson is a monster in human form. There's no other way to explain it.
While "Rumble's" power is well documented, the Blackzilians leader outdid himself once again at UFC 202 by melting a historically durable Glover Teixeira with one clean shot. The Brazilian came out aggressive looking to land heavy shots of his own, but ducked into a Johnson uppercut that put his lights out with the quicks. Johnson's punch landed and Teixeira's limp body crashed to the canvas.
The punch was so nasty and put Teixeira so far into the stratosphere he single legged the referee upon coming back to the here and now. And while Johnson was satisfied with his performance, he utilized his microphone time to the utmost by calling out champion Daniel Cormier for a rematch. "D.C." is the only man to defeat Johnson since he returned to the UFC back in 2014, and three-straight devastating knockouts should be enough to lock down another shot at the light heavyweight strap regardless of what may or may not happen with embattled former king Jon Jones.
It's hard to believe a fighter with as much experience as Donald Cerrone is getting better but it's absolutely happening.
The perennial lightweight contender turned some heads by jumping up a weight class to start 2016, and Cerrone has validated his decision to do so with one violent performance after the next. On Saturday night at UFC 202 Rick Story became the latest victim.
While Story was able to make things gritty in the early goings, Cerrone found his space and began to work his game in the latter half of the opening round. Cerrone landed combinations that put Story in retreat, then closed off the Octagon to keep the Washington state native within range. Coming out in the second round "Cowboy" looked fresh and crisp as he pinged Story with multiple shots at every turn.
The Jackson/Winkeljohn product stung Story with a body shot which set up a left hook/right kick combination all of which landed with pinpoint precision. Story spun around hurt and Cerrone swarmed in for the finish to pick up his third-straight victory in the welterweight ranks. With that type of momentum Cerrone would be poised to pull a huge fight in the 170-pound fold, but in signature Cerrone fashion he kept things live and fresh by calling out current 155-pound champion Eddie Alvarez for a title showdown.
While there are undoubtedly several fighters in that divisional race who could lay a stronger claim to a title shot, Cerrone it simply that dude. He's stepped up to fight time and time again, and there would be little argument from the MMA community if the UFC were to grant him his wish.
Mike Perry came into his UFC debut with an unblemished record and he'll leave Las Vegas the same way.
The 24-year-old Floridian jumped into deep waters by facing heavy-hitting Hyun Gyu Lim but it was Perry who dealt out the punishment at UFC 202. Perry's power made all the difference as he knocked Lim around the Octagon with everything he threw. Even though Lim held tough as long as he could, Perry's attack was relentless. He finished the bout with a bevy of big shots and put an impressive cap on a memorable debut.
Tim Means is back ladies and gentlemen.
"The Dirty Bird" did a stint on the sidelines due to a USADA violation, but he returned with force at UFC 202. The Albuquerque native pieced up late replacement Sabah Homasi with a brutal onslaught of elbows, knees and punches. Means opened Homasi up early and kept the pressure applied full tilt until referee Herb Dean jumped in to stop the fight.
While Means' suspension took him out of the picture for a bit, his overall record over the past two years can't be denied. Aside from a loss to Matt Brown in what was a barnburner of a scrap, Means has won six fights in the past 25 months. That's an impressive feat by any measure, and his performance on Saturday night in Las Vegas should guarantee a bigger name comes for his next bout.
If the bantamweight division's elite weren't keen on Cody Garbrandt before Saturday night they sure as hell are now.
The brick-handed Team Alpha Male standout added another impressive notch to his climb up the 135-pound ranks by leveling Takeya Mizugaki via first-round knockout. In what is becoming the Ohio native's signature style, Garbrandt pressed the action and unleashed his hands until his opponent hit the canvas.
Following his knockout over Thomas Almeida there was buzz for a title shot, but that talk became amplified after his win at UFC 202. During his post-fight interview Garbrandt issued a challenge to champion Dominick Cruz, and the camera cut away to "The Dominator" welcoming the ruckus.
All hype aside, there's no other fighter at 135-pounds who deserves the shot as much as Garbrandt, and a matchup with Cruz is a tilt fight fans can get behind.
Lorenz Larkin has looked like an absolute nightmare since dropping down to welterweight.
Save for a split-decision loss to Albert Tumenov, Larkin has looked damn near unstoppable at 170-pounds. The California native took another huge step on Saturday night as he pounded out a fighter known for his durability in Neil Magny.
While Larkin has historically struggled getting out of the gates, that wasn't the case on Saturday as he stalked Magny down and chopped away at his opponent's legs. The damage immediately began to show and Magny struggled to get out of range from Larkin's onslaught.
Once Larkin saw Magny hobbling, he poured on the pressure and pounded out the stoppage midway through the opening round. With the win, Larkin has now found success in four of his five showings at welterweight in the UFC.
Colby Covington has successfully carved out his place in what is perhaps the deepest division under the UFC.
The 28-year-old utilized his strong wrestling pedigree to grind out Max Griffin en route to picking up the TKO finish in the third round of their tilt at UFC 202. It was all Covington from the opening bell until the referee stepped in to stop the fight as he picked up his second consecutive victory inside the Octagon.
Covington has shown solid progression since his debut back 2014, as he's found victory in all but one of his six showings under the UFC banner.
The Bad
With so much emphasis put on the main event bout between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz, someone thought it would be a good idea to have their teammates get to scrapping as well. Perhaps the UFC thought it would be a preview of what was to come at the end of the night?
Wrong.
Chris Avila from the Diaz camp squared off with Artem Lobov from the SBG crew, and what ensued was easily the worst fight of the night.
How bad was it? Let's take a look at what Twitter thought?
[tweet url=" https://twitter.com/BR_MMA/status/7671612601440665..." hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
But was it really that bad?
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/SandhuMMA/status/7671611603827..." hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Okay okay. Perhaps the fight was too technical for the layperson to understand and it takes the opinion of a real fighter to appreciate the magic.
[tweet url=" https://twitter.com/MMARLONMORAES/status/767160919..." hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Then again sometimes there's no way to dress things up. Lobov picked up his first win and the fight couldn't end quick enough.
The Strange
Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor colliding once more inside the Octagon was a fight that every red-blooded fight fan wanted to see, but the reason the tilt went down at welterweight is still a mystery.
Reports as to why were conflicting, with both camps saying at some point expressing their intentions to do the fight at 155-pounds. Yet, the rematch was booked at welterweight, which is a weight class Diaz hasn't competed in for years and one McGregor has never called home.
So what was the point of running the fight back at 170?
Outside of the McGregor's claim he wanted to prove he could defeat Diaz at the weight they initially clashed at, the only other logical theory leans toward marketability on the Irishman's side.
Prior to being submitted by Diaz at UFC 196 back in March, the McGregor express was barrelling full steam toward a becoming a two-divisional champion. Granted, "Notorious" would've had to get through Rafael dos Anjos to make that claim, but there was a clear picture being painted in the lead up to UFC 196--one that seemed as if McGregor would have free reign to go after any belt he wanted.
Then-champion Robbie Lawler's welterweight crown was even a potential target had everything worked out at UFC 196, but that talk went belly up in the water following Diaz's rear-naked choke victory.
And speaking of belts, even after grabbing the biggest chunk of spotlight he's ever known in his career, Diaz didn't seem all too interested in parlaying his leverage into a title shot at lightweight. Instead, Diaz wanted the biggest money fight available, and there's no bigger payday in MMA then standing opposite of Conor McGregor.
Therefore the rematch was made, but it still makes very little sense it had to happen at welterweight. Stranger yet, even after McGregor's hand was raised at the end of the raucous 25-minute bloodbath, he suggested their inevitable trilogy match take place at 155-pounds.
While a lightweight collision between the two makes far more sense than either of their fights at 170-pounds, it still doesn't make a ton of sense in the grand scheme of things. Nevertheless, we'll all tune in to watch because what he saw on Saturday night at UFC 202 will keep us coming back for more.