In the second chapter of the story of Conor McGregor, we discussed McGregor’s rise to UFC stardom. That continued with his TKO win over Chad Mendes to become the interim UFC featherweight champion. McGregor was now one step away from becoming an undisputed UFC champion. Without further ado, let’s continue by telling the story of Conor McGregor part 3.
The Story of Conor McGregor Part 3: Aldo vs. McGregor World Tour
Given that Aldo vs. McGregor was going to be one of the biggest UFC fights ever, the UFC went above and beyond to promote it. There was a world tour which featured visits to McGregor’s hometown of Dublin, Ireland, and Aldo’s hometown of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Additionally, there was a TV program called Countdown to UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor.
The fight would take place at UFC 194 on December 12, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Luke Rockhold defeated Chris Weidman in the co-main event to become the new UFC middleweight champion. However, everyone in attendance wanted to see Aldo vs. McGregor in the main event. The fight’s result would shock the MMA world.
McGregor KOs Aldo to Become the New UFC Featherweight Champion
Going into the fight, the hype behind Conor McGregor was incredible, but Jose Aldo had won 18 consecutive fights. Aldo was and is considered by many to be the greatest featherweight in MMA history.
McGregor shocked the MMA world by knocking Jose Aldo out with a precise left hook. In doing so, he became the new undisputed UFC featherweight champion. The fight lasted only 13 seconds and McGregor’s KO win over Aldo remains the fastest knockout in UFC title fight history.
Many expected McGregor to defend his newly-won featherweight title next. However, McGregor would instead face an unexpected foe. He would form an intense rivalry with a former UFC lightweight title challenger: Nate Diaz.
The Story of Conor McGregor Part 3: McGregor vs Diaz 1 Shocks the MMA World
It is clear that Conor McGregor wanted to fight Rafael dos Anjos, then the UFC lightweight champion, after knocking out Jose Aldo in spectacular fashion at UFC 194. However, dos Anjos broke his foot and couldn’t fight at that time. McGregor considered other opponents, but eventually settled on Nate Diaz.
Diaz had stoked interest in a fight with McGregor after calling out the Irishman in his post-fight interview at UFC on Fox 17. That expletive-filled rant after Diaz’s unanimous decision win over Michael Johnson is a critical factor to consider when thinking about how McGregor vs. Diaz 1 happened. Diaz couldn’t cut weight to make the lightweight limit of 155 pounds.
As a result, the UFC made McGregor vs. Diaz 1 a welterweight fight at 170 pounds. UFC 196 saw many cancelled fights, venue changes, and many issues in general. However, the UFC eventually made McGregor vs. Diaz 1 the main event of UFC 196 after dos Anjos pulled out of the fight with McGregor.
The Story of McGregor vs. Diaz 1
It is easy to see why McGregor was confident coming into this fight. He had just knocked out one of the greatest champions in UFC history in less than a minute. Additionally, Nate Diaz took the fight on short notice. McGregor was a heavy -370 betting favorite heading into UFC 196.
The first round was relatively even. McGregor and Diaz exchanged strikes, but McGregor landed slightly more significant strikes with 28 to Diaz’s 23. However, McGregor didn’t manage his stamina well and was quite tired by the end of the first round. Perhaps McGregor expected a quick finish, but Diaz’s toughness is one of his greatest attributes as a fighter.
Diaz started landing more significant strikes in the second round as McGregor tired. in desperation, McGregor attempted a takedown, but Diaz stopped it and took McGregor’s back. Diaz locked in a rear naked choke and forced McGregor to tap.
McGregor had lost and been finished for the first time in his UFC career. The Irishman admitted that he had not managed his stamina properly in the fight. Naturally, McGregor was unsatisfied with the defeat and there would be a rematch at UFC 202.
The Story of Conor McGregor Part 3: McGregor Avenges His Loss at UFC 202
The rematch in the main event of UFC 202 made it the highest-selling UFC pay-per-view event of all time with 1.65 million buys. This record stood until UFC 229, which featured a highly-anticipated lightweight title fight between the champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Conor McGregor. The fight is one of the most exciting of McGregor’s career, with the two going back and forth over the full five rounds.
McGregor seemed to slow down after the second round. However, he pressed on and scored three knockdowns while landing 57% of his significant strikes. Diaz landed 48% of his significant strikes but threw many more significant strikes than McGregor. McGregor won the rematch by majority decision and avenged his prior loss to Diaz.
Now, McGregor could refocus on his ultimate goal of becoming a simultaneous two-division UFC champion.
Conor McGregor Puts on a Masterclass Against Eddie Alvarez
Conor McGregor faced Eddie Alvarez, then the UFC lightweight champion. at UFC 205 with the chance to make UFC history by becoming the promotion’s first-ever simultaneous two-division champion. McGregor dominated the first round, dropping Alvarez several times and defending takedown attempts successfully.
McGregor kept up the pressure in the second round and finished Alvarez with a beautiful multiple-punch combination to win by TKO. The Irishman’s dream of holding two UFC titles at the same time was now a reality. McGregor was now on top of the MMA world, but his story would soon take an unexpected turn.
Our Coverage of Conor McGregor’s Story Will Continue
That concludes the story of Conor McGregor part 3. We will continue our coverage of the story of Conor McGregor soon. Check back soon for part four of our series on the story of Conor McGregor.