Mixed martial arts is a chaotic sport where two athletes step into a cage to battle for physical supremacy, and it is the competition of it all that drives Chad Mendes.
The Team Alpha Male standout and current No. 1 contender to the featherweight crown has been in some form of athletic competition since the age of five, and he’s grown up adhering to a belief in sportsmanship and an appreciation for those he has competed against.
That courtesy does not extend to Jose Aldo.
While the mutual respect between champion and challenger was obvious before and in the immediate aftermath of their first bout at UFC 142 back in 2012, that particular element between the two men has dissolved over the past two years.
Although both Aldo and Mendes have continued on their respective paths and have been successful in every outing since their first meeting, “Junior” has never hesitated to launch a barb in the former title challenger’s direction when he’s asked about Mendes in interviews.
The Nova Uniao leader has launched a series of veiled allegations in Mendes’ direction, suggesting the Sacramento-based fighter uses special “supplements” to gain an athletic edge, per C.J. Tuttle of Sherdog. And while Mendes has always responded to those accusations in kind, “Money” has also lived up to his nickname, as he’s put together an impressive five-fight winning streak to earn his way back to another title opportunity.
He will get another shot at the pound-for-pound great at UFC 179 this Saturday night, and Mendes is coming into Rio de Janeiro as a man on a mission. Not only will he be looking to fulfill his dream of becoming the featherweight champion, but he also has every intention of making the long-reigning champion eat his words.
“There is always somewhat of a personal aspect to every fight,” Mendes told Bleacher Report. “It’s just the nature of the business. Obviously I respect Aldo as a fighter. He’s the champion and I can’t come into this fight not respecting his talent and skill level. I obviously do respect him in that sense. It’s something I’ve trained for and prepared my mind and body to get in there and face the champion.
“But he said a lot of s–t about me in the media and that’s not cool. Whether he respects me or not, if you want to say these things to sell a fight or whatever caused you to say them, my like for you has gone completely out the window. This is now a fight against a person who is trying to beat me up and trying to take the money I use to put food in my mouth. This no longer has anything to do with me liking or respecting him. There is going to be a war in there.
“The ultimate goal is to win the title. That is something that needs to happen in my mind. My mindset is to go in there and take the belt from whoever has it, and he’s the one holding it right now.”
Coming into their first meeting at UFC 142, the bout was the classic “striker vs. wrestler” pairing from a stylistic standpoint. While the rematch will still hold similar aspects, both fighters’ skill sets have progressed from their tilt two years ago. On that front, Mendes has definitely shown the most improvement, as he’s expanded his dynamic wrestling base to include power striking with proven knockout capabilities. Of his current five-fight winning streak, only one of those victories went to the judges’ cards, as the other four opponents suffered knockout losses.
That said, Aldo has built an impressive winning streak in his own right, as the reigning champion has notched 17 consecutive wins since November 2005. It has been nearly a decade since the Brazilian knockout artist last tasted defeat, but Mendes is confident he has what it takes to dethrone the featherweight king at UFC 179.
“I’ve watched a lot of tape leading up to my first fight with Jose and I’ve watched every fight he’s had since then. He hasn’t made a ton of improvements. Jose is really damn good at what he does and that is why he’s the champion. He hasn’t had any reason to change anything up because he’s been beating everyone with what works for him.
“I feel like I’ve made major improvements in my game. The first time we fought I was only two fights into the UFC. When I watch the tape, I look like I was a baby in there. I look so much younger and smaller and I feel I’ve grown up a lot as both a person and a fighter since then. I truly believe this is going to be a different fight the second time around. It’s been over two years now and I’m a much better fighter.
“I’m more experienced with everything about my fight game now,” he added. “Even making the trip to Brazil for this fight is something I feel comfortable with. For my first fight with Jose, that was the first time I had ever flown out of the country and fought in an opponent’s backyard. It was a big learning experience for me and I have that aspect under control. I’ve also done a lot of game planning for this fight with Duane Ludwig and the new head coach at Alpha Male, Martin Kampmann. It just came down to meshing the two views on Aldo with what works for my body and fighting style and I believe we have a great game plan to win this fight.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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