UFC 202: Diaz vs. McGregor 2 | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Roe Jogan
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Introduction
UFC 202: Diaz vs. McGregor 2. August 20, 2016. T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas. Conor McGregor defeated Nate Diaz by majority decision (48-47, 47-47, 48-47) in a five-round war at welterweight. The first event under new WME-IMG ownership. 1,650,000 PPV buys — the highest-selling UFC PPV of all time at that point.
McGregor controlled the first two rounds with his boxing, landing the bigger shots and opening cuts above Diaz’s eye. Diaz stormed back in round three, outlanding McGregor 58-24 in significant strikes. The final two rounds were competitive, with both fighters landing in exchanges. One judge drew it 47-47.
Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson TKO’d Glover Teixeira in round one. Donald Cerrone beat Rick Story by UD. Cody Garbrandt stopped Takeya Mizugaki in 48 seconds and called out Dominick Cruz. The pre-fight week included a bottle-throwing press conference incident involving both camps; both were fined by the Nevada Commission.
Contents
Quick Stats
Date: August 20, 2016
Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
PPV: 1,650,000 buys — UFC all-time record (at the time; later broken by UFC 229: McGregor vs. Khabib at 2.4M)
Main Event: Conor McGregor (FW champion) vs. Nate Diaz — WW non-title (5 rounds) rematch of UFC 196
Result: McGregor def. Diaz — MD (48-47, 47-47, 48-47) — McGregor won R1, R2; Diaz dominated R3; competitive R4 and R5; one judge drew
Notable: Bottle-throwing press conference incident; McGregor $3M purse (UFC record at time); first WME-IMG UFC event
Co-Main: Rumble Johnson def. Teixeira — TKO R1, 1:16 — LHW; POTN ($50k)
Bonuses: FOTN: McGregor/Diaz ($50k each); POTN: Rumble Johnson + Cerrone ($50k each)
The Build-Up
At UFC 199’s PPV broadcast, the UFC announced McGregor vs. Diaz 2 for UFC 202. The week leading into the fight was turbulent: at the final pre-fight press conference, McGregor’s team threw water bottles and cans at Diaz’s crew. Nevada State Athletic Commission fined McGregor $150,000 (later reduced) and Diaz $50,000 (later reduced) for the incident.
At UFC 196, Diaz had submitted McGregor in round two. McGregor’s game plan for the rematch focused on conditioning improvements and managing distance through five rounds. Diaz’s team’s camp had Diaz in improved striking shape.
Main Event
Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz — Welterweight (5 rounds, non-title)
Rounds one and two: McGregor controlled with his southpaw left hand, cutting Diaz above the eye. He landed the bigger shots and appeared to be repeating the first round pattern of their first fight but with better conditioning.
Round three: Diaz came alive. He outlanded McGregor 58-24 in significant strikes, swarmed forward with his boxing, and shifted the fight’s momentum completely. Rounds four and five were tight: McGregor absorbed heavy shots and fired back; both fighters were marked up by the end.
The scorecards: 48-47, 47-47, 48-47 for McGregor. One judge drew it. McGregor post-fight: ‘Surprise, surprise! The king is back! If you want this trilogy, it’s on my terms.’ Diaz: ‘I want number three, I gave him number two.’
Co-Main Event
Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson vs. Glover Teixeira — Light Heavyweight
Johnson walked Teixeira down and landed a brutal left hand at 1:16 of round one. Teixeira was dropped; Johnson finished with follow-up shots. The stoppage was emphatic and kept Johnson in the LHW title picture.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Tim Means def. Sabah Homasi — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — WW
Mike Perry def. Hyun Gyu Lim — TKO — R? — WW; Perry UFC debut; aggressive brawling style
Cody Garbrandt def. Takeya Mizugaki — TKO (Punches) — R1, 0:48 — BW; Garbrandt dominant; called out
Dominick Cruz post-fight
Donald Cerrone def. Rick Story — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — WW; POTN ($50k); Cerrone dominant
Anthony Johnson def. Glover Teixeira — TKO (Punches) — R1, 1:16 — LHW; POTN ($50k); Rumble stays in LHW title picture; Co-Main
UFC WW Rematch — Main Event
Conor McGregor def. Nate Diaz — Majority Decision — R5, 5:00 (48-47, 47-47, 48-47) — WW non-title; FOTN ($50k each); McGregor won R1-2; Diaz dominated R3; close finish; 1.65M PPV buys
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night: Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz — $50,000 to each fighter.
Performance of the Night: Anthony Johnson + Donald Cerrone — $50,000 each.
Records & Milestones
UFC 202 set the all-time UFC PPV record at 1,650,000 buys. The record stood until UFC 229: McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov in October 2018, which drew 2,400,000 buys.
First UFC event under new WME-IMG (now Endeavor) ownership. The company acquired the UFC for approximately $4 billion in July 2016.
Conor McGregor’s disclosed purse of $3,000,000 was the highest in UFC history at the time, breaking Brock Lesnar’s record from UFC 200.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 202 confirmed what UFC 196 had suggested: Diaz vs. McGregor was the most commercially valuable rivalry the sport had produced. The 1.65M PPV buyrate proved it. The rematch was closer than the first fight’s margin suggests; one judge drew it.
The trilogy never materialised. McGregor moved to lightweight to challenge for the LW title at UFC 205 against Eddie Alvarez (November 2016). Diaz took a long absence before returning at UFC 241 in 2019.
FAQ
How did McGregor win the rematch at UFC 202?
McGregor won by majority decision (48-47, 47-47, 48-47). He controlled rounds one and two with his left hand, opening a cut above Diaz’s eye. Diaz dominated round three, outlanding McGregor 58-24. Rounds four and five were close. One judge drew it; two gave it to McGregor.
What happened at the UFC 202 press conference?
McGregor’s team threw water bottles and cans at Nate Diaz’s camp during the final pre-fight press conference. The Nevada State Athletic Commission fined McGregor $150,000 (later reduced to $75,000) and Diaz $50,000 (later reduced to $15,000) for the incident.
Was UFC 202 a record PPV?
Yes. UFC 202 drew 1,650,000 PPV buys, the highest in UFC history at the time. The record stood until October 2018, when UFC 229 (McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov) drew approximately 2,400,000 buys.
Was there a McGregor-Diaz trilogy?
No. McGregor moved to lightweight after UFC 202 to challenge Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205, becoming the first simultaneous two-division UFC champion. Diaz took a long absence from competition. As of the knowledge cutoff, the trilogy had not taken place.
Who bought the UFC in 2016 and was UFC 202 significant to that deal?
WME-IMG (now Endeavor) completed their acquisition of the UFC for approximately $4 billion in July 2016. UFC 202 was the first event held under their full ownership. The record 1.65M PPV buyrate helped validate the company’s massive investment in the promotion.
References
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