UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo has been forced to withdraw from Saturday night’s UFC 189 bout against Conor McGregor, leaving the challenger to fight Chad Mendes for the interim championship.
UFC President Dana White announced the decision on Tuesday’s SportsCenter. Aldo, 28, had been trying to get medical clearance from the Nevada State Athletic Commission after suffering a rib injury in training. Reports varied on the extent of the injury, with UFC calling it a bone bruise and MMAFighting reporting it was a fracture.
Ultimately, White said Aldo’s injury was too painful regardless of its extent. The unfortunate circumstance leaves UFC 189 without one of the most marquee main events on the 2015 calendar. Aldo and McGregor have been building their bout for months, with the latter’s public brashness bringing a ton of mainstream attention.
There were even some theories that Aldo’s injury was a ruse designed to play WWE-style mind games with McGregor. Mendes, who lost to Aldo at UFC 179, will now have less than two weeks to prepare for the bout.
“Four minutes into the first, Chad Mendes will be unconscious,” McGregor said, per the UFC.
Mendes last fought in April, defeating Ricardo Lamas via first-round TKO. McGregor, who is undefeated since joining the UFC, defeated Dennis Siver via TKO in January. Odds are the winner of this bout will be facing Aldo next as White tries filling the featherweight championship on a non-interim basis.
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