The rematch between defending featherweight champion Jose Aldo and No. 1 contender Chad Mendes was the most anticipated fight on the UFC 179 card, and the main event did not disappoint.
Aldo retained his championship via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46), but MMA fans are already talking about what’s next for both the champion and Saturday’s challenger.
Here are the full results from UFC 179 and a breakdown of what’s next for both fighters.
What’s Next for Jose Aldo
Several fighters in the featherweight division arguably deserve a title shot following Aldo’s win on Saturday, but none more so than Irish star Conor McGregor.
Aldo has been an ideal champion for UFC, taking a blue-collar approach to the business and the media. The reigning champion has never talked too much trash and has backed up everything he has said with elite performances in the Octagon.
Aldo has never fought a challenger as unpredictable as McGregor, though, and the Irish star warned the champion that he was coming on Twitter:
After 18 straight victories, Aldo has done and seen it all inside the Octagon, but McGregor is not your run-of-the-mill challenger. The Irishman has won 12 fights in a row and each of his first four fights in the UFC.
If McGregor beats Dennis Siver in January, Dana White and company officials will have no choice but to give the entertaining a fighter a shot at the title. With 10 of his last 12 fights ending in a KO or TKO victory, McGregor would likely provide a stiff test to Aldo.
What’s Next for Chad Mendes
The loss will be devastating for Mendes, but he had an incredible performance. Aldo is the cream of the crop and one of the toughest pound-for-pound fighters in the world, and Mendes deserves credit for going all five rounds and earning the Fight of the Night bonus.
When asked about Aldo landing a clean shot and how he survived the remainder of the fight, Mendes told Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com, via ABCNews.com, “He rung my bell for sure. I was rushing to get my wits back. Holy s—; that was fun. I’ve got to be honest: I was just going so hard that I didn’t know what the hell was going on.”
Now it’s time for Mendes and the UFC to look ahead and see what’s next for the former No. 1 contender. There is no question that he deserves a marquee fight after truly challenging Aldo in the title match, and his next bout will be the most important of his career.
With top featherweight contenders Frankie Edgar and Cub Swanson scheduled to square off in November at UFC Fight Night 57, Mendes should be aiming for the loser of that fight as his first bout on the climb back into the title picture.
The winner of Edgar vs. Swanson will be considered one of the top contenders for Aldo’s title, but Mendes will need to win at least three fights to get back into the title hunt. Beating either Edgar or Swanson would be a great first step toward redemption.
*Stats via UFC.com.
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