Conor McGregor may be pugnacious, abrasive and downright divisive, but the Irishman emphatically delivered on his word to knock out Chad “Money” Mendes at UFC 189 on Saturday evening.
The crowd at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas was bewitched by an absorbing, ever-changing contest, but it was The Notorious One who worked his way off the mat early on to land a thunderous left on his opponent’s chin late in Round 2.
It was an enthralling finish to a sensational card in Las Vegas; here’s a full reminder of the results and a look back at some of the best reaction from McGregor’s marvellous victory.
Results
Main Card
- Conor McGregor def. Chad Mendes via second-round TKO
- Robbie Lawler def. Rory MacDonald via fifth-round TKO
- Jeremy Stephens def. Dennis Bermudez via third-round TKO
- Gunnar Nelson def. Brandon Thatch via submission (rear-naked choke)
- Thomas Almeida def. Brad Pickett via second-round KO
Undercard
- Matt Brown def. Tim Means via submission (guillotine)
- Alex Garcia def. Mike Swick via unanimous decision
- John Howard def. Cathal Pendred via split decision
- Cody Garbrandt def. Henry Briones via unanimous decision
- Louis Smolka def. Neil Seery via unanimous decision
- Cody Pfister def. Yosdenis Cedeno via unanimous decision
Results courtesy of MMAFighting.com.
Lawler Beats MacDonald in Thriller
After a card that had absorbed all in attendance at the MGM Grand, the battle between Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald had a lot to live up to. But the two welterweights turned in a tremendous display, with the champion scoring a decisive knockout in the fifth round.
As we can see here courtesy of MMAFighting.com, it was important for Lawler to get the knockout, as MacDonald was ahead on the judges’ scorecards:
Indeed, MacDonald put in a lot of splendid work in this one before referee John McCarthy stepped in. The fact that the Canadian found himself on top in Round 3 after suffering a horrible broken nose in the session beforehand made his mid-fight pressure all the more impressive.
Lawler was actually staring down the barrel of a defeat in the third round. A swift kick to the back of the head from his opponent left the champion reeling, and although Lawler made it to the end of the round, MacDonald, broken nose and all, was well on top.
But after regrouping in the fourth, Lawler landed a left in the fifth round bang on target, forcing MacDonald to yield. Luke Thomas of MMAFighting paid tribute to the efforts of both men:
After Lawler edged out MacDonald in a split decision in 2013, this win was consolidation of his dominance in this rivalry. The shot to do so much damage in Round 2 was one of the manoeuvres of the evening, but the manner in which Lawler clawed himself back into contention after MacDonald turned the tide was impressive.
McGregor Delivers on His Word
Amidst the hyperbolic buildup to this megafight, McGregor offered to bet UFC President Dana White $3 million that he’d knock out Mendes in the second round, per the Jim Rome Show (h/t Colin Brennan of the Irish Mirror).
These kinds of claims are so often made and forgotten, but in this instance, with a second-round knockout victory secured by the Irishman, the boast has major significance.
McGregor has delivered on his word once again.
Here’s a look at the winning moment, courtesy of BT Sport UFC:
Mendes had schooled The Notorious One in the early stages of the contest. Ahead of the fight, many expected the American to have the requisite skills to get McGregor down to the floor repeatedly in the opening session. As a result, the Irishman ended the first round bloodied, and Mendes looked to be well in control.
But McGregor was able to work his way back to his feet superbly, and in the upright exchanges he was well on top of Mendes. One of those blows was eventually telling, as the 26-year-old landed a fierce left on the jaw of his opponent.
As noted by Bleacher Report U.K., McGregor was blunt in his post-fight assessment of the decisive moment:
This was the fight that really saw McGregor arrive as an elite UFC star. For so long there have been concerns about whether he could beat a technical talent such as Mendes and whether he could last the pace against these types of opponents. But he proved here that not only can he mix it up with those guys, but he can finish contests in the blink of an eye.
For the sport, a win for McGregor, who is a promoter’s dream, is so important too. Thoughts will now turn to a potential bout with champion Jose Aldo, and while the ill feeling between the two has always made for a fascinating rivalry, McGregor now boasts a top-class pedigree to back up his brash persona.
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