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It was a fight so good even Conor McGregor had to give props to a Diaz brother.
Friday marked the 10th anniversary of Nick Diaz’s third and final Strikeforce welterweight title defense, and it was a barnburner that people are still raving about a decade later.
On April 9, 2011, Diaz fought powerhouse striker Paul Daley. The contest didn’t make it out of the opening frame, with both fighters having the upper hand at points and dropping the other. After being hurt multiple times, Diaz secured the TKO finish, finishing “Semtex” with only three seconds left to go in the first round.
GettyNick Diaz leaves the arena after his bout with Anderson Silva during UFC 183 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on January 31, 2015, in Las Vegas.
BT Sport’s Chamatkar Sandhu shared a highlight video on Twitter of the wild Strikeforce fight, calling the bout “arguably the single greatest round in MMA history.”
Watch the video below:
Can’t believe it’s already been a decade since Nick Diaz and Paul Daley produced arguably the single greatest round in MMA history.
McGregor took to Twitter on Friday to react to Sandhu’s post, writing, “Incredible bout!”
McGregor and Diaz have a long history, as “The Notorious” fought Diaz’s younger brother, Nate, twice in 2016. In their most notable confrontation, Nick was involved in the infamous water bottle throwing controversy during UFC 202 pre-fight press conference. According to a Bleacher Report summary of the incident, McGregor was taking a question from a reporter when “Diaz stormed out of the presser, flanked by his brother, Nick, and training partner Jake Shields, shouting curse words at McGregor.”
Watch below:
Fans Clamor for Future McGregor Bouts With Diaz Brothers
In response to McGregor’s “Incredible bout” tweet, a few fans called for a McGregor-Nick Diaz matchup.
One Twitter user posited, “Conor how would a bout go with you and nates’ big brother?”
“Imagine the numbers McGregor vs Nick Diaz would do,” another user said.
Another added, “Conor, would you ever entertain a fight with a fellow legend like Nick? A proper legacy fight if he chooses to return?”
@TheNotoriousMMA 1 of the best fights of all time! Would love you v Nick Diaz at 170
@TheNotoriousMMA Always wanted to see you and Nick fight
@TheNotoriousMMA Hear me out Conor vs Nick🤔
Other tweets indicate demand for a third faceoff between McGregor and the younger Diaz. “All we want is Nate vs Connor 3 make it happen,” one user wrote.
According to a September 2020 article from talkSport, McGregor has indicated in comments teasing a possible return to the ring that he’d be open to taking on both Diaz brothers in the future.
“The latest [comment] has seen him claim he wants to take on Nick Diaz, who wants to return to the octagon, as well as a trilogy with Nate,” the talkSport article said, adding that in response to a tweet featuring both brothers Diaz, McGregor commented, “Line them up.”
@btsportufc Line them up
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This Is — Maybe — Not the First Time McGregor Has Complimented Nick Diaz
A few years before McGregor fought Nate at UFC 196 in March 2016, he was participating in “The Time Is Now” presser with Nick.
Someone posed the question: “Nick, what do you think of Connor’s fighting style, and then Connor, the same question about Nick.”
With a straight face, Diaz replied, “I like it,” which elicited laughs from the audience. The camera panned to McGregor, who replied, “I like it, too,” although it’s not clear if McGregor was talking about Diaz’s fighting style or saying that he, too, likes his own fighting style.
Watch below:
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Conor McGregor Gives Rare Compliment to Foe: ‘Incredible’