5 UFC fighters who took unbelievable punishment and survived until the final buzzer
The UFC has seen the making of many champions and superstars. The octagon isn't an arena where respect comes cheap. One has to earn it. Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Kamaru Usman, among many others, have established themselves as tough competitors with incredible skill.
While some earn it with their dominance, others earn it with their resilience.
To borrow a few lines from the movie Rocky Balboa: "It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward."
The UFC octagon has hosted many barnburners and slugfests that have ended with the fighters exhausted and bloodied. UFC 268 saw bitter rivals Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington embrace after surviving an intense five-round war against one another.
Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington hug it out after 5 rounds of battle.
You love to see it! #UFC268 https://t.co/PFwzuQXOcf
While the fighters undergo training to endure the pounding in the octagon, the resilience of some stands out.
Here are five fighters who showed immense resilience and survived until the final bell.
#5. Nate Diaz, against Conor McGregor at UFC 202
Nate Diaz is one tough nut to crack and he has shown it time and again.
2️⃣ years ago today: Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) edged Nate Diaz by majority decision in their anticipated rematch #UFC202
Check out @JoshuaDahl's epic photo gallery from that night: wp.me/p3WzJ0-1rLL
Full fight recap: bit.ly/2bLgVou https://t.co/BoxgJKUwBk
He squared off against Conor McGregor for the second time at UFC 202. The stakes were high as Diaz handed McGregor his first loss in the UFC during their previous encounter at UFC 196.
Despite eventually losing via unanimous decision, the Stockton-native showed tremendous resilience. McGregor was precise with his combinations and knocked Diaz down on three occasions. However, the American refused to give up and managed to claw his way back into the fight.
As per UFC stats, McGregor landed 164 shots on target out of the 286 he attempted. Nate Diaz got caught multiple times and was bloodied and heavily cut up going into the fourth round. Somehow, the Californian dominated the fifth round as McGregor was noticeably gassed out.
Interestingly, Diaz landed a higher volume of strikes than Conor. The final bell at the end of five long rounds came as a relief. The two were seen embracing and giving respect to each other soon after, despite their heated rivalry.
Speaking to Joe Rogan after the fight, McGregor praised Nate Diaz for the toughness he showed in the octagon. Answering if his leg kicks were decisive, 'The Notorious' said:
"You’re damn right, it was. He [Nate Diaz] took them better than we expected. He didn’t show, didn’t let me know. That toughness and durability that he has, crept back in during the later rounds, but I’m still happy to come out with a win. It was a hell of a fight; he was a hell of a competitor, and he brought the best out in me."
Watch Conor McGregor's post-fight interview here: