When UFC fans want to see a fight, they want all-out action... and that's what they got in the main event of UFC 202.

UFC featherweight king "The Notorious" Conor McGregor took on Nate Diaz and barely walked away with the W, a stark contrast to their previous outing.

That fight ended with a win for Diaz and a loss for McGregor, the Irishman's first in the UFC and third in 22 fights overall. Going into the March matchup, McGregor was coming off the tail end of the fastest knockout in UFC title fight history, having clobbered Jose Aldo with a single punch in only 13 seconds to take the featherweight belt at UFC 194. It was the latest in a five-knockout string and kept McGregor unbeaten in his seven-fight UFC career, so one would be safe in assuming that he would have given Diaz the same treatment as the majority of his opponents, despite the bout taking place at welterweight.

For a round, one was correct. McGregor put on the same counter-punching clinic he's famous for, tagging Diaz at will in the noggin like it's popular. Five minutes went by, and Diaz's face was renovated like the house of a man looking for a quick sale.

Then came the second round. McGregor came out of his corner like he'd just run the 400m dash at the Olympics, and although his accuracy was still good, he lacked much of the agility and speed he displayed previously. Eventually Diaz tagged him with a left hook, which caused the hamster to stop keeping pace with the wheel. McGregor stumbled like a drunkard as Diaz began imposing his own will, sporadically employing his patented 'Stockton Slap' in between punches. He shot for the takedown, meeting no resistance in the way, and had McGregor tapping to the rear naked choke in seconds.

In the aftermath, the internet exploded in uproar. The detractors criticized McGregor for losing steam and getting tapped out by a guy who next to literally took the fight last second, decrying the former infallible image that accompanied the Irishman. Supporters pointed out that he was fighting two class above his normal fighting weight, that he was more prepped for Rafael Dos Anjos (lightweight champ and McGregor's original opponent, which was a bid to be the first fighter to carry two belts simultaneously in UFC history), and that he was dominating up until the game-changing left hook. The attention was greater than anything UFC CEO Dana White could have ever wished for.

McGregor wanted to avenge his loss, and the overwhelming reaction was too great for White to ignore. Diaz, known for his street-influenced attitude, talked trash from the moment the ref called the fight. McGregor's fiery Irish attitude returned fire the moment he could form a coherent thought. White knew there was money to be made.

And so five months later, thanks to a delay from UFC 200 by White in what most saw as a political plot, we got a rematch, again at welterweight. The drama between foes came to a head, with shooting matches and thrown bottles occurring during press conferences and the weigh-ins, where McGregor and Diaz came within an inch of exchanging premature blows. People who lightly followed the UFC were paying attention, eagerly anticipating that Saturday's main event.

Then it started. At the opening horn, McGregor took his time, playing the counterstrike game with a lot more caution. The first two rounds went his way, and he managed to cut Diaz with his shots. Diaz tried to maintain a stoic appearance, shaking off the punches, but the bruises and blood didn't lie. To make matters worse for the Californian, McGregor left a massive bruise on the back of Diaz's right leg with his chopping roundhouse kicks, which continued throughout the duration. McGregor knocked Diaz down a few times, but widely chose to stay on his feet to avoid Diaz's highly touted jiu jitsu and a repeat of their last encounter.

The third round was cause for concern, as McGregor started displaying fatigue. Diaz took advantage of his foe's decreased stamina, closing the gap with strikes in order to tie up McGregor with the clinch and press him against the fence. From there, McGregor did his best to stave off Diaz's skillful dirty boxing, but Diaz was able to use him as a punching bag, delivering rapid body shots to open up the face. Occasionally Diaz would try for the takedown, but McGregor managed to defend every attempt. Whenever McGregor freed up, he spent much time running with his back to his opponent as he attempted to gain literal breathing room. These moments allowed him to add more cuts and bruises to his adversary's face, causing Diaz to bleed profusely. The fourth round turned out to be lather, rinse, repeat, and Diaz handily won both rounds despite the mess dripping from his eyebrow and a nearly shut right eye.

The final round proved more competitive, with McGregor better able to avoid the clinching while administering hard shots. Near the halfway mark Diaz finally had McGregor against the fence, but McGregor solved the dirty boxing combos, sneaking in a few of his own strikes while slipping Diaz's. With less than twenty seconds left, however, Diaz pulled a successful double leg takedow and barely had time to attempt some ground and pound until the final horn. Against character, Diaz helped McGregor to his feet and the men hugged, signs that most, if not all, bad blood has been left in the Octagon.

Two minutes later, the judges had their decision. Announcer Bruce Buffer called the first judge's decision for McGregor, followed by the second judge's decision as a draw. The third was the deal breaker, which brought McGregor retribution in one of the hardest-hitting, most action-packed fights in combat sports.

Both men's stock skyrocketed: before McGregor, the passive UFC fan cared little for Diaz, but after, nobody was going to forget him. McGregor reestablished himself as a force to be reckoned with. Both saw multi-million dollar paydays, with McGregor walking away with the biggest compensation for a single UFC fight ever.

With the trilogy all but inevitable, the champ thanked his opponent for bringing out the best in him and welcomed a second rematch with Diaz, but at lightweight instead. Diaz voiced a willingness to settle the score, albeit with vulgar remarks, but still congratulated McGregor for the win. Nobody truly lost in that fight -- not the fighters, not the UFC, and definitely not the fans.