Nate Diaz wasn’t surprised that he defeated Conor McGregor at UFC 196 Saturday night.
Diaz, a huge underdog heading into the bout with the featherweight champion, scored a second round submission in the main event.
“I’m not surprised (expletive),” Diaz said. “There’s a new king of this (expletive) and it’s right here.”
Taking the fight on two weeks notice, Diaz (19-10) withstood a barrage of shots from McGregor in the opening round, including ones that left his face a bloody mess. After catching “Notorious” in the second, Diaz took on a takedown attempt and immediately flipped himself on the back of the Irish fighter.
Moments later, it was all over.
“I am a slow starter,” Diaz said. “Especially if I am not in the best shape. I expected to dodge and slip a little more, but I didn’t have as much sparring. As soon as I got warmed up, I knew I would turn things around, it just happened earlier than I expected.”
A former lightweight title contender, Diaz likely positioned himself for a big-time bout next – and maybe even a championship one, as he was coming off a victory over top contender Michael Johnson.
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