That he was beaten by a fighter who had just 11 days' notice certainly takes a heavier sheen off Conor McGregor than would have been by a regular loss.
It could be cited that the change of opponent and weight class was not an ideal situation for McGregor either. When you consider how elated the Irishman was in the build-up to the fight and how brazen he was about the choice of opponent and the move to welterweight, it's tough really buy it as a mitigating factor.
McGregor's preparations were certainly more optimal than Nate Diaz's. The featherweight champion had a full fight camp, albeit one in expectation of facing Rafael dos Anjos rather than the 30-year-old American. Diaz had none.
In fact, speaking to Megan Olivi backstage after his win, Diaz related how suboptimal his preparations were for the fight.
Two weeks ago, he was sitting on a yacht in Mexico when he got the call from the UFC.
Though he reasons it to be a help rather than a hindrance, Diaz also divulged was unable to eat for three days during his trip to Mexico due to the consumption of contaminated water.
I think I could have done better with a camp - no shots would have landed. I had no sparring.
I was just on a yacht in Cabo two weeks ago with my boy Tyson Ribbie and they called.
The good thing is I got sick in Mexico and I didn't eat for like three days from like drinking the water or something. So, when I got home I was kind of light. They called an said let's make this weight.
Watch below.
Watch: Nate Diaz Gave An Epic Interview To Fox Sports After Beating Conor McGregor
