5 UFC fights that exceeded expectations

#4. Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz at UFC 196:

Conor McGregor lands a left hand on Nate Diaz

After beating Jose Aldo for the featherweight championship, Conor McGregor was looking to move up a weight class to lightweight and become the first-ever UFC champion to hold two belts simultaneously.

McGregor was booked to fight Raphael Dos Anjos for the lightweight championship but the Brazilian pulled out of the fight. The UFC was now looking for an opponent for McGregor, and Nate Diaz took up the fight on short notice.

The fight ended up happening at welterweight, which was 25 pounds above the weight at which the Irishman usually fought. The first round was total domination from 'The Notorious' who landed some big shots on Diaz. But as the round ended, McGregor looked tired, and as the second round started, Diaz began to land some shots that hurt McGregor.

The Irishman shot for a takedown but Diaz reversed it, grabbed his neck, and choked him out. The fight did 1.5 million pay-per-view buys and became the highest selling UFC event at the time.

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#3. Justin Gaethje vs Eddie Alvarez at UFC 218:

Eddie Alvarez, the former lightweight champion, was always an entertaining fighter to watch. When he got booked for a fight against Justin Gaethje, who was equally dangerous and exciting, fans expected an all-out war.

In the weeks leading up to the fight, Alvarez kept saying the fight was to determine who was the most violent man in the UFC. Justin Gaethje was also undefeated at the time and had just won his UFC debut fight against Michael Johnson in an epic battle.

The two violent lightweights went all out against each other, matching one another for strikes and octagon control. In the third round, Alvarez landed a knee on Gaethje which put him out. The bout won the fight of the night honors and fight of the year nomination.