In a matter of hours, Chad Mendes will go face-to-face with the only man to hand him a loss in the sport of mixed martial arts. Mendes and UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will rematch in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, in the main event of UFC 179.
Their first meeting also took place in Brazil, where Aldo delighted his countrymen with a dramatic KO victory in the final second of the first round. A well-placed and devastating knee did the damage, and Mendes has been waiting almost three years for a chance at redemption.
He’s 5-0 since the loss in 2012, and he says that he is a better fighter now.
Aldo is, by most accounts, one of the world’s best fighters. He’s 3-0 since he defeated Mendes with wins over Chan Sung Jung, Ricardo Lamas and Frankie Edgar. Injuries have limited his title defenses over the last 34 months, but he’s healthy and ready to defend his belt.
Can Mendes exact revenge and become the new featherweight champion? It’s possible, but it isn’t my prediction. The speed and experience advantage still lies with Aldo. Mendes loves to get the finish, and he has the explosive power to put away any featherweight. He’s scored stoppage wins in four of his last five fights.
The problem is, Aldo’s speed and diverse striking techniques still give him the advantage in stand-up encounters. Mendes’ best bet is to make it a wrestling match, but Aldo has underrated grappling and submission skills. He hasn’t won a fight by submission hold since 2005 (he did force an opponent to submit via soccer kicks in Meca World Vale Tudo).
At worst, the champion would be able to stymie Mendes’ ground overtures long enough to get the scrap transitioned back into a stand-up battle.
Another factor is Aldo’s extended experience in championship fights. He has gone five rounds five times in his career.
Mendes has never been beyond three. Ultimately, Aldo’s more effective striking game will earn him a unanimous-decision victory as Mendes slows down late in the fight.
Here’s a look at all of my predictions for UFC 179 and a closer look at the co-feature bout that pits Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis against Glover Teixeira.
| Segment | Network | Time |
| Fight Pass Prelims | UFC Fight Pass | 7 p.m. ET |
| Matchup | Weight Class | Prediction |
| Fabricio Camoes vs. Tony Martin | Lightweight | Martin by submission |
| Gilbert Burns vs. Christos Giagos | Lightweight | Burns by submission |
| Segment | Network | Time |
| Fox Sports 1 Prelims | Fox Sports 1 | 8 p.m. ET |
| Matchup | Weight Class | Prediction |
| Felipe Arantes vs. Andre Fili | Featherweight | Fili by TKO |
| Scott Jorgensen vs. Wilson Reis | Flyweight | Jorgensen by decision |
| Yan Cabral vs. Naoyuki Kotani | Lightweight | Cabral by submission |
| William Macario vs. Neil Magny | Welterweight | Magny by decision |
| Segment | Network | Time |
| Main Card | PPV | 10 p.m. ET |
| Matchup | Weight Class | Prediction |
| Diego Ferreira vs. Beneil Dariush | Lightweight | Dariush by TKO |
| Darren Elkins vs. Lucas Martins | Featherweight | Martins by KO |
| Fabio Maldonado vs. Hans Stringer | Light Heavyweight | Stringer by TKO |
| Glover Teixeira vs. Phil Davis | Light Heavyweight | Teixeira by decision |
| (c) Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes | Featherweight | Aldo by decision |
Glover Will Pound Davis For Three Rounds
Despite his imposing physique, Davis has yet to establish himself as a dangerous striker. Davis does all of his damage on the ground as a wrestler, and that explains why he has just two KO wins in his career.
Teixeira, on the other hand, is a pure striker. His boxing is excellent and, though he is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, he’s most comfortable on his feet. The 34-year-old Brazilian has won 13 fights by KO in his career, and he’d undoubtedly like to make Davis his 14th victim.
Teixeira will get the win, but I don’t see him stopping Davis. Despite his inability to amount much offense in the stand-up game, Davis proved he can at least take a punch against the very powerful Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. Davis didn’t win, but he did go the distance despite taking some good shots from the destructive and motivated Johnson.
Davis has never been stopped in his career, and it doesn’t seem likely that Teixeira will become the first to do so.
However, the Brazilian should be able to stack up points with cleaner and more effective striking. This should lead to a lopsided unanimous-decision win for him.
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