Former two-weight UFC champion, Conor McGregor has claimed that only multiple time featherweight title challenger, Chad Mendes, landed some real significant ground strikes against him during his Octagon tenure – insisting any other punishment he endured was less than momentous.
Conor McGregor, a former undisputed featherweight and lightweight champion, has been sidelined from active competition since July of last year where he suffered a fractured left tibia in the opening round of his UFC 264 trilogy rubber match against Dustin Poirier.
The Dubliner has targeted a slew of opponents for a potential Octagon return, including a possible vacant lightweight title fight against former champion, Charles Oliveira – and even a welterweight return and title tangle against current gold holder, Kamaru Usman.
Conor McGregor provides a surprising name who caused him trouble with their ground fighting
Reflecting on some precarious moments during his Octagon career when finding himself defending from the bottom, McGregor, who has recently featured in that position against both the aforenoted, Poirier, and arch-nemesis, Khabib Nurmagomedov – claimed that only Mendes caused him some concern – with a slew of slashing elbows.
“Them elbows are no joke,” Conor McGregor tweeted in a now-deleted post. “Nor the upkicks. Everyone’s ground and pound is piss. Not a scratch has there ever been on me. (Chad) Mendes only one. Fair play all the same; bare-knuckle Chad.” (Transcribed by Bloody Elbow)
Headlining UFC 189 against the now-BKFC contender back in 2014, McGregor managed to rally from some early opening and second round adversity from Mendes in a short notice interim featherweight title fight – stopping the Team Alpha MMA staple with late second frame strikes to scoop his first Octagon crown.
Recently making his Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship debut back in February of this year, Mendes, who retired from professional mixed martial arts boasting a record of 18-5, stopped Joshuah Alvarez with a fourth round knockout in a lightweight matchup.