Conor McGregor vs Nate Diaz: Notorious looked broken backstage after first UFC loss

Conor McGregor was handed his first loss in the UFC by Nate Diaz back in 2016, and the backstage footage after the loss shows just how much it meant to the Irishman.

After entering the UFC in 2013, McGregor pieced together an impressive seven-fight win streak which saw him become the featherweight champion and an instant star.

McGregor’s major breakthrough came during his fight against Jose Aldo, who had been undefeated for 10 years prior to their title fight. McGregor knocked the Brazilian out in just 13 seconds in what has become one of the most iconic UFC fights of all time.

Having risen to stardom in the featherweight division, McGregor quickly turned his attention to the lightweight scene, where reigning champion Rafael dos Anjos was waiting. However, a foot injury caused RDA to pull out, and Nate Diaz was surprisingly named as a short-term replacement, meaning the Irishman had to beef himself up to welterweight.

Diaz had previously called out McGregor in dramatic fashion, and the two immediately went toe-to-toe in a war of words. But while McGregor’s witty charm usually precedes a victory, the ‘Notorious’ instead tasted defeat for the first time in his career.

McGregor piled early pressure onto the California-born fighter, but Diaz came forward relentlessly and his iron chin proved too much for the featherweight champion to handle.

After being rocked by a fierce combination of punches, McGregor shot a desperate takedown, and Diaz quickly reversed the situation and ended the fight in the second round with a rear-naked choke.

Losing his first fight – to a short-term replacement at that – wasn’t in McGregor’s plans leading up to the fight, and his post-fight reaction tells you all you need to know about how