Conor McGregor, the boisterous Irishman known for throwing verbal jabs just as fast as his tenacious uppercuts, was left humbled after his first loss in the Octagon on Saturday night.
Nate Diaz choked away all of McGregor's hubris with a submission victory at UFC 196. McGregor met with Fox Sports reporter Ariel Helwani following the fight to explain what led to his surprising loss.
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"I just misinterpreted (Diaz's) efficiency. He was very efficient, and he took shots well," McGregor said. "He played with his energy well, whereas I didn't. I blew out. He did not."
MUST WATCH: @TheNotoriousMMA has an emotionally charged conversation with @ArielHelwani following his #UFC196 loss.https://t.co/amZCdoVFCH
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) March 6, 2016
McGregor added he won't avoid fighting at higher weight classes in the future, saying "I enjoyed the test." McGregor moved up from featherweight to welterweight to compete against Diaz.
While he didn't indicate who he would fight next, McGregor sounds interested in jumping back down to featherweight for a rematch against Jose Aldo. McGregor knocked out Aldo in 13 seconds at UFC 194 to capture the featherweight title.
"Maybe I'll go down and shut (Aldo) up one more time."
