5 UFC fighters who couldn't accept a loss

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#4. Conor Mcgregor's loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229

The biggest rivalry in UFC history was between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor. Their fight in 2018 was the highest-selling pay-per-view event in the promotion's history, with a record 2.4 million buys.

The buildup to their historic fight was bitter and sometimes even ugly. McGregor became a double champ in 2016 after beating Eddie Alvarez. Nurmagomedov, who was part of the prelims that night, called McGregor out. However, the Irishman took a long break from MMA. He fought Floyd Mayweather in a boxing bout in 2017 and was stripped of the UFC lightweight belt in 2018.

Meanwhile, 'The Eagle' established himself as the most dominant UFC lightweight and captured the title in 2018. It was now Mcgregor's turn to challenge the champ. However, things soon turned ugly after the infamous bus attack at Barclays Center. The Irishman's antics endangered other fighters and he got entangled in legal trouble.

The rivalry turned even uglier in the following weeks, as the Irishman insulted Nurmagomedov's father and his religion. McGregor claimed he would easily knock 'The Eagle' out.

However, on October 7, 2018, it was not the case.

The Russian manhandled the former champ for the majority of the fight. He took him down at will and punished him with ground and pound.

It was only in the third round that McGregor found some success on the feet. In the fourth, normal service resumed. Nurmagomedov took him down again and finished him with a rear-naked choke. Immediately after the stoppage, the Russian jumped the fence and attacked McGregor's teammate, Dillon Danis. A brawl ensued as authorities struggled to get things under control.

Following their fight, McGregor acknowledged the loss but said he had fought with an injured leg. However, as time went on, the former champ constantly made excuses for his defeat. Over the years, he has spewed further vitriol on the Russian on social media. In a now-deleted tweet, he even disrespected Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov after his passing.

McGregor says Khabib ran away:

McGregor has repeatedly claimed that he would beat Nurmagomedov in a rematch and that 'The Eagle' retired because he was scared to face him again. Since returning to the UFC in 2021, the Irishman has lost two straight fights.

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#3. UFC legend Nick Diaz's outrageous accusations against Georges St-Pierre

Nick Diaz is a legend of the sport. The veteran has had a long career with its ups and downs. At the peak of his powers, he was the Strikeforce welterweight champion. The Stockton native was a capable fighter, both on the ground and on the feet with his precise striking.

Nick Diaz has fought in many promotions over the years. During his first stint in the UFC, his most notable win was against Robbie Lawler. He returned to the UFC in 2011 and earned a title shot against Georges St-Pierre in 2013.

Some unsavory words were exchanged during the buildup, but it was at the pre-fight press conference when things got personal. St-Pierre compared Diaz to a school bully. Diaz countered by saying how he had been held at gunpoint once as a kid and asked if St-Pierre had ever faced such a situation.

The pair met inside the octagon at UFC 158 in 2013. Diaz did his best, but St-Pierre pressured him, constantly landing numerous takedowns. 'Rush' disrupted his rhythm, outclassed Diaz on the ground, matched him at striking, and won by a clear decision.

Diaz did not take the loss well. He came up with a plethora of excuses, the most outrageous being that he'd been poisoned before the fight.

Diaz explains how he thinks he was poisoned:

On top of this, he even accused St-Pierre of taking steroids. It was another shocking claim, considering 'Rush' has a clean record and has always advocated for independent drug testing.