Brunch in the Rolls.(Photo - @alex_merriman_)David August Inc. Rolls-Royce North America
Posted by Conor McGregor on Thursday, March 3, 2016
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Everyone at some point in their lives gets humbled. Conor McGregor just happened to be on top of the world when it happened. After his demolition of Jose Aldo (A man who dominated for a decade) it was no wonder McGregor was flying high and ready to take on the world. The 27 year old stood as the UFC's biggest draw and everyone from the fans to the UFC were enjoying every minute of it. From celebrity endorsements to talk shows to press conferences drawing hundreds of thousands of live viewers all McGregor had to do was continue to be himself and knock people out.
Enter Nate Diaz. An underdog on the betting lines despite a height, weight and reach advantage. While McGregor was able to overwhelm Diaz on the microphone over the two week build up it would be Diaz's experience that would come through in the second round. In the blue corner the left side of Nate's face is badly bloodied after a round he clearly lost. In the red corner McGregor is breathing heavy and clearly used up a lot of energy trying to knock Diaz out.
As a tired McGregor's hands start to drop along with his punch output it's Diaz who begins to open up and unload. At one point McGregor smiles in recognition that Diaz landed a good shot. It wouldn't be long before McGregor after eating another Diaz combo shoots for a slow and poorly executed takedown that Diaz stuffs and goes to work. Shortly thereafter Diaz would secure a Rear Naked Choke and McGregor would take his first loss in the UFC.
While both men were respectful post fight the rest of us were left with a lot of questions.
Question One - Has The Notorious Conor McGregor has been exposed?
YCTMMA Opinion - Diaz was able to withstand the first round onslaught and was able to intelligently pick apart what was left of McGregor's energy and get the finish. McGregors conditioning has not seemed to be an issue until his fight at Welterweight. Conor is used to fighting roughly 10 pounds lighter on fight night. While he looked much healthier making weight for this fight it's clear the extra weight was a burden. Was it a big enough factor alone? Probably not but it shouldn't be disregarded entirely. His diet changes when the fight was changed to Welterweight could also play a factor as McGregor looked to gain weight quickly.
Question two - Is Conor McGregor as one dimensional as he looked?
YCTMMA Opinion - Much of the video we see on Mcgregor outside of the cage revolves around striking and movement. Maybe rightfully so as Conor's meal ticket has been his knockout power. What we do know right now is every wrestler and submission specialist is lining up to take a shot and McGregor will be tested on the ground in his next few fights without question.
Question three - Is this the end of McGregors time on top of the UFC?
YCTMMA Opinion - I don't believe so but stranger things have happened. Mcgregor is the top striker at Featherweight where he is still the UFC Champion. I do not think he's as well rounded as he needs to be though. You have to take the good with the bad of coarse. While Conor has KO power he seems to struggle fighting off his back. Many great champions fight through adversity and come back stronger but in Conor's case there is a big enough hole in his game that he could really struggle against someone with a dominant ground game.
In closing. The UFC is making a killing with McGregor and he's still a champion. The intrigue of McGregor's next fight coming off a loss is going to sell itself. Conor's brash personality is the icing on the cake. It will be interesting to see if the UFC tries to shield their money machine from ground specialists. One thing is certain... There is never a dull moment involving "The Notorious" Conor McGregor.
