After putting Jose Aldo to sleep in merely 13 seconds to unify the UFC featherweight title in December, Conor McGregor must have felt invincible. It was the only time anyone had knocked Aldo out during his illustrious 12-year career and the first time the most decorated 145-pounder in MMA history had lost in a decade.
That performance likely factored into McGregor thinking it wouldn’t be an issue to jump two weight classes in only three months to fight Nate Diaz at welterweight on just 11 days’ notice. McGregor quickly discovered at UFC 196 that it was a major issue.