Opinion: 4 Takeaways From Nate Diaz-Conor McGregor 2

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.

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Now that the dust has settled and UFC 202 is in the books, it’s time to look at four key takeaways from Conor McGregor’s majority decision victory against Nate Diaz. After months of hype, the fight exceeded most everyone’s expectations and set up the world for a potential third showdown between two fighters who appear to be made for each other. With both men enjoying rising stock and plenty of options, let’s break down the most important things upon which to reflect:

1. McGregor Should Never Fight At 170 Pounds Again

You have to give credit where credit is due, because McGregor had absolutely no business fighting at 170 pounds for a second time. The average fighter would have learned his lesson after being decisively submitted by a larger man. That was not the case for McGregor, who made the conscious decision to not only face Diaz again at 170 pounds but to do so in another five-round fight. It’s hard enough to make a 25-pound jump in fighting weight, but to be conditioned enough to go five rounds with Diaz is a tall order. The Irishman went through hell and high water to prove he’s a unique talent and took home a well-deserved majority decision. With that being said, he should never, ever do this again. His new home is 155 pounds, where a title fight with lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez is waiting for him.

2. The Fight Could Not Have Played Out Better

McGregor absolutely needed to go the distance against Diaz to prove he was able to fight longer than 15 minutes. Perhaps most important was that McGregor showed that he had resolve to weather the storm that Diaz brought as the fight progressed. It separated him from Ronda Rousey, considering that he stared into the face of adversity and managed to survive. Some fighters are frontrunners who simply don’t know how to fight their way back into a bout. McGregor dug deep and managed to remain upright in the third round and come back strong in the fourth. Also, it appeared that Diaz had the upper hand in the mind games department throughout the week, yet McGregor remained calm and stuck to the game plan. He could have fought as emotionally as most of us anticipated, but he did not allow what transpired at the press conference and the weigh-in to play a role in how the fight played out. Simply put, it was the defining moment of McGregor’s career. Diaz also proved he was tough as nails, as he peeled himself off the canvas on several occasions to make this one of the best fights of the year. It gave us drama and had us truly curious as to what a third fight between these two would look like.

3. Wins, Losses Matter Much More to McGregor Than Diaz

The Ultimate Fighting Championship as an entity must have exhaled after the grueling war between McGregor and Diaz. A McGregor loss would have decimated his stock, which was built upon a boisterous personality and a veil of relative invincibility. His first loss to Diaz was forgivable because of the varying factors heading into the fight. However, with McGregor as the last star standing in the UFC, dropping back-to-back fights would have sent him tumbling. Meanwhile, Diaz is not known as a world-beater and doesn’t build himself up to be one. Losing to McGregor only set up an even bigger third fight; and the manner in which Diaz lost earned him enough respect to bring value to his fights. Simply put, he could afford to lose, and McGregor could not.

4. McGregor is a Championship-Caliber Fighter

Alvarez had some disparaging things to say about McGregor after the UFC featherweight champion avenged his loss to Diaz. Alvarez stated that McGregor wasn’t a “championship fighter” and looks “sloppy” in fights that go longer than eight or nine minutes. While everyone is entitled to his opinion, Alvarez’s critique of McGregor feels more like bait than an actual criticism. Sure, McGregor tired against Diaz. However, this was a five-round fight in a bout contested at two divisions above his normal fighting weight. He was gassed but came back to life to take a fourth round he desperately needed. Alvarez just won his world title, has yet to defend it and didn’t exactly set the world on fire when he arrived in the UFC. You can’t take away that McGregor knocked out the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world in 13 seconds; and you can’t take much away from his fight with Diaz because that fight could have ended a lot sooner against another fighter. McGregor may not have the greatest conditioning in the world, but he’s the biggest attraction for good reason.

Andreas Hale is the editorial content director of 2DopeBoyz.com, co-host of the boxing, MMA and pro wrestling podcast “The Corner” and a regular columnist for Sherdog.com. You can follow on Twitter for his random yet educated thoughts on combat sports, music, film and popular culture.