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Nate Diaz names one aspect of first Conor McGregor fight that changed UFC history forever

Nate Diaz recalled how the Conor McGregor fight shaped his career forever.

Zain Bando

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Former UFC star Nate Diaz had an epic two-fight run against Conor McGregor, in which the pair split the two-fight series in March and August 2016.

McGregor, Diaz Have Still Yet To Settle The Score

Conor McGregor reacts following his loss during UFC 196 at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Conor McGregor reacts following his loss during UFC 196 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Boxing legend disgusted after Conor McGregor spat on Khabib Nurmagomedov fan

However, it was the first fight against McGregor that Diaz fondly remembers, a second-round rear-naked choke to halt McGregor's then-undefeated UFC run just three months after winning the UFC Featherweight Championship against then-champion Jose Aldo.

Diaz Relives Iconic Slap

While many MMA fans remember the short-notice buildup to McGregor-Diaz 1, few are likely to recall Diaz's fight-altering slap to frustrate the Irishman.

This ultimately led to the eventual upset, giving Diaz, a winner of The Ultimate Fighter Season 5, a new sense of celebrity fame. Of course, McGregor would get the better of the Stockton, CA native five months later by majority decision at UFC 202. Still, Diaz uncovered why his coveted slap on McGregor sticks out when reflecting about his career.

"When he was hitting me and running. and s*** and I smacked him," Diaz said in an interview with Full Violence. And then I was like, 'Aha, b****....you just got slapped. That was funny. A lot of times, it's not intentional."

Diaz said he'd be interested in returning to the UFC, but there aren't any intriguing matchups that would make the former UFC lightweight title challenger get back into the deep end.

Nate Diaz Ended His UFC Run With a Win

Either way, Diaz's UFC memories have appeared to stick with him for quite sometime, even if he never won a UFC title.

Nate Diaz fights Tony Ferguson during UFC 279 at T-Mobile Arena.
Nate Diaz fights Tony Ferguson during UFC 279 at T-Mobile Arena. / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Nate Diaz reveals key reason he won't return to the UFC for legacy fights

Diaz tried his hand at boxing following his UFC stint, rematching Jorge Masvidal from their "BMF" fight at UFC 244 and taking on YouTuber-turned-boxing sensation Jake Paul.

For now, an MMA comeback remains in limbo.

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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