The Vin Diesel starrer “xXx: The Return of Xander Cage" marks UFC fighter Conor McGregor's acting debut. (Photo : Instagram/Vin Diesel)
Both Conor McGregor, 27, and Holly Holm, 34, entered UFC 196 undefeated. Unfortunately for their fans, both left the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 5, Saturday, losing their undefeated status to underdogs.
On Nov. 15, 2015, Holm ended the undefeated status of Ronda Rousey, 29, in the main event at UFC 193 by defeating her via knockout in the second with a neck kick. This made the former the first fighter to win championships in both MMA and boxing.
However, Holm's reign as the UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion only lasted for 111 days after losing to Miesha Tate, 28, at UFC 196 via submission (rear naked chokehold) in the fifth round. Still, Rousey holds the record of holding the UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship title for the longest period because she held the title for 1,074 days while Tate, the third woman to win the title, has just started.
On the other hand, if they fail to regain their status as the leading mixed martial artists, it appears that both Rousey and McGregor can shift to an acting career. The latter is set to follow the former's career as an actor featured in a film that stars Vin Diesel.
Like Tate, Nate Diaz, 30, submitted McGregor to rear naked chokehold. This is shocking to many considering that Diaz not only was the underdog but also was unprepared because he replaced lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos as McGregor's opponent only two weeks before the welterweight bout.
Dos Anjos bailed out because of a broken foot. Instead of jumping one weight class, McGregor moved up two divisions to welterweight and faced Diaz in the main event.
"I took a chance going to 170 and it didn't work," Las Vegas Sun quoted McGregor as saying. "I felt I took him in the first round but I was inefficient with my energy."
On the other hand, Tate said she knew she had to finish the fight and she had to be perfect in the fifth round.
"I thought I had to be like a pit bull on a bone," CBS Sports quoted Tate as saying. "I couldn't let go of it."
Watch Tate's interview after defeating Holm here:
