5 Things We Learned From UFC 196 - McGregor Vs. Diaz

3. 25 Pounds Makes A Big Difference

When the fight between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz was being put together, reportedly Diaz - who fights at 155 but also had a run in the welterweight division several years ago - asked for the match to take place at a catchweight of 160 points, to which McGregor responded that he'd just do it at 170 to "let Nate get comfortable." That was an admirable move and part of what makes "Notorious" so insanely popular. What we saw at 196 was what a huge difference 25 pounds can make. Most people outside the MMA world don't realize the impact that just a few pounds of weight or a few inches of height or reach can have, and this fight was a prime example of that. From the opening moments, McGregor was noticeably slower and Diaz's reach was clearly giving him problems. Many of his punches and wheel kicks were whiffing completely, where as Nate was able to pepper him at will. McGregor has always shown tremendous faith in his chin, willing to absorb shots in order to deliver his own, but against Diaz that strategy immediately began to take its toll. Nate Diaz isn't known as someone who possesses significant punching power, but he was stunning and wobbling Conor with his shots. In the second round when McGregor shot in for the takedown after being rocked from Nate's hands, it was a tacit admission that he didn't want to be hit anymore. Unfortunately for McGregor, as badly as he wanted to get out from in front of Diaz's punches, he wanted to be tangled up on the mat with him even less because that's where the BJJ blackbelt is most dangerous. Once it hit the ground it was academic, and Nate showed off his superior submission skills but easily working position and sinking in the rear naked choke. Had McGregor won this fight, he was likely going to call out Robbie Lawler for the welterweight championship - a thought that was corroborated by Dana himself in the post-fight show - or possibly even Georges St, Pierre, who was in the arena and seems to be flirting with the idea of a comeback. It's a good thing for McGregor's career and his health that he learned that 170 pounds is an entirely different animal before he got in there with Robbie Lawler and got his head knocked clean off. He should be thanking Nate Diaz for keeping him from making a terrible decision. I love his attitude and wish all MMA fighters had balls as big as Conor's, but that would have been ugly.