Urijah Faber is willing to give Conor McGregor his due as a tenacious competitor. McGregor, after all, found a way to defeat Faber’s Team Alpha Male campmate, Chad Mendes, in a high-stakes situation last weekend at UFC 189.
“First off, Conor McGregor was a tough dude, no doubt,” Faber said on Tuesday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “He was eating elbows, taking punches, and this guy likes to fight. He waited for his opportunity and finished the fight when he had his opportunity.”
But Faber remains convinced that wrestling is the UFC interim featherweight champion’s Achilles heel. After all, Mendes outwrestled McGregor throughout the fight and dominated him on the mat for the bulk of the second round before make the mistake which enabled McGregor to rally and win the bout.
“I don’t think Conor showed he’s a good grappler in the least bit,” Faber said.
Mendes, of course, took the fight on two weeks’ notice after Jose Aldo Jr. pulled out due to his broken rib. Faber believes that should Mendes and McGregor ever square off again, and Mendes has a full camp, this time, he’d get the job done.
“If Chad Mendes were training for the biggest fight his life for eight weeks, for more than that, for 10-12 weeks, you’re going to see a different Chad,” Faber said. “A guy that would not fatigue, and then it becomes who is going to implement his game? Can Conor land punches? Can Chad land his takedowns? Chad landed big, solid punches as well.”