Sportskeeda MMA Awards 2016: Top 10 Fights of the Year

#9 Conor Mcgregor vs. Nate Diaz 1

It is a perversely enchanting sight to watch your hero being forced to give up

Up until the Silva vs. Bisping card, a lot of people felt that Michael Bisping defeating Anderson Silva would be the number one upset of the year. A belief that was going to be obliterated only a few weeks from then.

Silva vs. Bisping was followed up by Mcgregor vs. Diaz after the latter agreed to be the short notice replacement for the then Lightweight Champion Rafael Dos Anjos.

As expected, Diaz was a huge underdog, considering Mcgregor was the reigning Featherweight Champion riding an enormous 15-fight win streak with 14 picture-perfect knockouts, including a jaw-dropping (no pun intended) 13-second KO victory over the great Jose Aldo.

It was only understandable that Diaz would be the underdog against such a dominant force but nobody questioned his durability in the fight except maybe, McGregor himself. It was obvious from his plan since he chose to completely overlook Diaz and decided to essentially run him over, in his pursuit of the Lightweight Gold.

However, when the two squared off in the Octagon, Mcgregor started off with landing haymaker after haymaker, quickly opening up the abundant scar tissue on Diaz’s face. At a fleeting glance, it looked like Mcgregor was close to another KO/TKO victory to add to his resume.

But as the fight progressed, the durability of Diaz became obvious to Mcgregor and his camp. A failed game plan was now awaiting to come full circle with disastrous energy management McGregor’s part.

With every punch that McGregor landed, he ate a few quick but hard and accurate shots. As he depleted himself of the necessary gas to go five rounds, the tables now turned in the favour of the underdog.

Single punches now morphed to fully fledged and comprehensive combinations landing flush, one after another, the end was near, but nobody wanted to believe it could actually happen.

Then out of nowhere, catching the timing and rhythm of Mcgregor, Diaz landed a simple 1-2 combination that stunned the Champion, who immediately shot for a takedown in panic. And now into the world of Diaz, on the ground, where McGregor was even more helpless than usual as he was already rattled on the feet.

At a moment's notice, a swift pass of the guard, side control and onto full mount, Diaz started brutalising McGregor, seconds away from a potential TKO victory. In that moment, McGregor almost voluntarily gave up his back and proceeded to be choked out in what was deemed, the biggest upset of the year so far now.

It was a truly historic moment as us fans swallowed the bitter pill that our heroes are never truly invincible. The story, however, was far from over.