Diaz shocks McGregor with 2nd-round submission at UFC 196

A blood-soaked Nate Diaz forced Conor McGregor to tap out to a rear-naked choke in the second round of the main event of UFC 196.

Related: VIDEO - Diaz secures submission win over McGregor

Diaz took a pounding early on, but he showed his renowned durability and mental strength in taking everything McGregor had to offer and giving it back in spades. The reigning featherweight champion repeatedly found Diaz's chin with his mighty left hand, opening up a cut on the side of Diaz's face in the first round.

The cut had no ill effects on Diaz's performance; if anything, he appeared to become more motivated after being busted open. McGregor's strikes became less accurate, while Diaz started to put together combinations that landed cleanly on McGregor's head and body.

The turning point came when McGregor was badly rocked in the second round. He continued to trade with Diaz, though when the exchanges became too hot, he surprisingly shot in for a takedown.

A deadly submission fighter, Diaz welcomed the grappling, and soon McGregor found himself on the wrong end of a full mount. Diaz blasted McGregor with hard hands from that dominant position until McGregor was forced to turn over and away from the punches.

Diaz slipped his arm right under McGregor's chin, and, after a few seconds, he handed "Notorious" his first loss in the UFC.

After the fight, Diaz said he wasn't surprised at the result. It was the Stockton native's 14th win in the UFC - by far the biggest of his professional martial arts career.