Nate Diaz erases the aura of invincibility

THE wounded gazelle had one hell of a spring in his step. Nate Diaz had bounded on to the stage at the post-fight press conference as Saturday turned to Sunday in Vegas.

The 22nd outing of a meandering career in the UFC was always going to be his biggest. It also transpired to be his best. The veteran Californian, painted by his opponent as a wounded animal in the build-up, succeeded where more vaunted and vastly more favoured fighting men had failed — he stopped the Conor McGregor show dead in its tracks.

With a clutch of devastating blows late in the second round of the main event of UFC 196, he rocked the Dubliner harder than seasoned McGregor observers could ever remember. With a pitch- perfect rear naked choke, he stripped off the cloak of invincibility McGregor had woven with word and deed over the previous two years. All of this on just 11 days’ notice.