For sports like boxing, it is the aim of every fighter to show their opponent that they are not afraid of them. So, even though one fighter is aware of the past records of the other, they would try as much as possible not to prevent the fear from being visibly written on their faces. One of the biggest events in the history of boxing was the UFC 196. It was a massive event that was well promoted, and it was set to host two superb fighters, Rafael Dos Anjos and Conor McGregor.

One of the reasons why this event would go down in history is because of the circumstances surrounding McGregor’s loss. Now, it would interest you to know that Conor McGregor did not actually lose to Brazilian fighter, Dos Anjos; he lost to Nate Diaz. What happened was, when it was eleven days to the D-day, Dos Anjos pulled out of the scheduled fight for unknown reasons.

With just a little time left to prepare, Diaz and McGregor had to fight at welterweight because there was little or no time for Diaz to lose weight. The difference in the sizes of the two men was prominent, but it did not enough reason for Diaz to treat Conor in an utterly disrespectful manner. For those who are not aware, one of the condescending things a fighter can do is to slap their challenger. What the slap means is, the oppressor does not have to touch his opponent before defeating him.

It is the aim of every fighter to instill confidence in themselves on the ring. So, slapping their opponents who they do not consider a threat is one of the fastest ways to send the message of doom. And if the boxer who is slapped does not take caution, there is a high tendency that he would surely be defeated during the game. One of the best ways a boxer can show that he is undeterred is to return the slap in the same proportion.

This is one of the best means to tell the opponent that he is evenly matched and not just some underdog who will be easily beaten. McGregor being a renowned striker, had his image tainted by the slaps he received from Diaz. Before this fight, it was reported that McGregor was known for dishing various insulting words to his opponents.

Hence, several boxing analysts presumed that Karma was at play in McGregor’s fight with Diaz, and this time it was not insults but resounding slaps. When Diaz gave McGregor the first slap, a faded smile was lit on McGregor’s face. The reason for the smile was to dissuade Diaz, sending a message that he was not afraid. At this point, McGregor would have done more than just smiling, retaliation would have been better, but he refused to.

Unfortunately for McGregor, this smile faded off gradually, as Diaz slapped him at intermittent intervals. It was then that McGregor knew all would not go down well. Midway between the slaps, Diaz dealt McGregor with a left cross that left him in disarray. McGregor tried to find balance, and when he did, he tried to rush Diaz with punches. What McGregor probably forgot was Diaz was a renowned Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter, and that move would be to his disadvantage.

As expected, Diaz reacted quickly by delivering a choke from behind, and within a few minutes, he wrapped up the fight defeating the Irishman. After the competition that year, Diaz took a break from UFC for two years. But, he was set to have a lightweight bout with Dustin Poirier on November 3rd, 2018, before it was eventually canceled.