UFC 202: Top five finishes for McGregor, Diaz, Rumble, Teixeira before fights
Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Anthony Johnson and Glover Teixeira are some of the most exciting fighters
By
Matthew Coca
•
2 min read
The main and co-main events for UFC 202 are known for possessing devastating power and precise skill. Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Anthony "Rumble" Johnson and Glover Teixeira are some of the best UFC has to offer. Ahead of their fights this week, we take a look at some of their best career finishes in the Octagon.
5 -- UFC on Fuel TV: Conor McGregor vs. Marcus Brimage (2013)
This is the fight that put McGregor on the map. It was his first appearance in the UFC and the rest was history. Brimage was 3-0 in the UFC at this point, but he wasn't ready for what the Irishman had in his arsenal. McGregor unleashed combination after combination before finally unloading the devastating left hand the world now knows he possesses. At 1:07 of the very first round in his UFC debut, "The Notorious One" was born.
4 -- UFC Fight Night: Glover Teixeira vs. Ovince St. Preux (2015)
From 2006-2013, Teixeira went undefeated. In 2014, he lost twice -- one of them being for the UFC light heavyweight championship against Jon Jones. How did Glover respond to those losses? With a big time "Fight of the Night" performance in stopping Ovince St. Preux. A third-round submission in what was a bloody battle sparked Glover's new three fight, three finish streak he has now.
3 -- UFC 189: Conor McGregor vs. Chad Mendes (2015)
McGregor was born to be a champion and finally got his shot against Mendes for the interim featherweight belt. After a shaky first round, McGregor turned things up in the second. As the round was coming to a close, McGregor found his groove and used his precise striking to connect with that left hand. McGregor's journey to the top was finally validated that night as the belt was put around his waist.
2 -- UFC on Fox: Anthony Johnson vs. Antonio Nogueira (2014)
Everyone knew that 'Rumble' was fighting at the wrong weight class. He is built like Mack truck and trying to cut weight wasn't for him. After two years fighting outside the UFC, Johnson made his return to the company at light heavyweight. His second fight back against Antonio Nogueira lasted just 44 seconds. Anthony Johnson is the most powerful fighter in the UFC and that strength was on full display that night.
1 -- UFC 196: Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor (2016)
Diaz took this fight on only 11 days' notice. The fight was going McGregor's way the entire first round, but Diaz's ability to withstand damage was the difference maker. McGregor was completely out of gas by round two and that's when Diaz got his swag back. The 31-year-old took McGregor down and landed some massive shots before making the champ tap out.
