Jose Aldo is out of UFC 189. For realsies this time. Conor McGregor will now face Chad Mendes for the interim featherweight title at UFC 189 on 11 days notice. The news was delivered by Dana White on Sportscenter last night, the video of which you can check out after the jump.
Jose Aldo is out of UFC 189. For realsies this time. Conor McGregor will now face Chad Mendes for the interim featherweight title at UFC 189 on 11 days notice. The news was delivered by Dana White on Sportscenter last night, the video of which you can check out after the jump.
And just like that, the most lavishly-promoted fight in UFC history goes up in smoke. Aldo misses out on the biggest payday of his career. McGregor gets an arguably tougher stylistic matchup and PPV sales likely tank. Karma at work, maybe?
As Jose Aldo tried to battle through a rib injury ahead of his title defense against Conor McGregor at UFC 189, the contingency plan — Chad Mendes — began preparing himself as if Aldo were already out.
On Tuesday, as UFC president announced on SportsCenter, that became a reality. In what was one of the stranger situations heading into a big pay-per-view event, Mendes will now step in and fight McGregor for the interim featherweight title on July 11.
His leap of faith paid off.
“As soon as I got this call and they said get ready I basically just shut out any possibility that Aldo was coming back,” Mendes said during an appearance on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, a full day before he got the news. “I’m basically treating this like I’m fighting Conor for the title. I have to get my weight down. I’m coming up with a game plan and going over it, fine-tuning cardio. I’m pretending like I’m getting in there, and I’m fighting. That’s my mindset. I wake up every morning, I sit there and game plan stuff while I’m laying in bed before I get out.”
“And I’m excited, man. I think this is a great match-up for me. Conor’s a tough guy, but Conor’s a guy I know I can beat. He better pray that Aldo can go in there and fight because I’m going to mess that dude up.”
Mendes said that part of the reason he was confident about stepping in was that he keeps himself in fight shape year-round. As of Monday he was walking around 163 to 164 pounds — close to the weight he’s usually at two weeks before a fight.
Even when he was still uncertain as to whether or not he’d be facing McGregor at UFC 189, Mendes said he felt fortunate for the opportunity. Mendes was deadlocked with fellow featherweight Frankie Edgar to get the next shot, and he wasn’t promised the winner should Aldo have fought McGregor as planned. To get the opportunity ahead of Edgar did make him feel for the former lightweight champ.
“I feel for him,” he said of Edgar, who is coming off a victory over Mendes’ teammate Urijah Faber. “I have nothing against Frankie. Me and Frankie are right there in the same spot. Ultimately that was up to the UFC. Obviously I feel very honored that they chose me, but yeah, I feel like Frankie could make a case just as much as I could.”
Mendes, who is coming off a huge TKO victory of his own over Ricardo Lamas in April, said that he’s been watching McGregor going back to his UFC debut against Marcus Brimage in 2013. Though this was an opportunity he said he couldn’t refuse, Mendes was very surprised that McGregor agreed to fight him — a 5-foot-6 wrestler — when the UFC came to him with the alternative plan.
“[McGregor] just went through an entire training camp for a guy that’s a Muay Thai fighter, and now he’s facing a guy that’s going to put him on his back,” Mendes said. “It definitely changes the whole game plan but, I just heard his coach [John Kavanagh] talking. This is a fight that a lot of people from Ireland are coming to see, taking out big loans and stuff. So it would be pretty messed up on his part to have to back out now with all his friends and family coming. There’s a lot of pressure on that, a lot riding on him to keep that fight going. So I don’t think he has a choice.”
As one of McGregor’s frequent targets in the media, Mendes and McGregor have had a contentious history together. Yet asked if the fight was personal to him, Mendes said he would present a stoical face once he stepped inside the Octagon.
“He’s definitely said things to make this personal…the guy just loves talking crap, though, I mean, that’s Conor,” he said. “He’s an actor, he’s a guy that’s selling fights. I’m not going to get in there and fight emotionally. I’m going to love to beat the crap out of this guy, don’t get me wrong, but there’s nothing that dude’s going to say to take me out of my game, push me too far or make me fight emotionally. I’m going to get in there and do what I do every single time. I’m going to put the pace on him, I’m going to put him on his back and I’m going to make him uncomfortable and I’m going to beat the crap out of him. Bottom line is this is what I was born to do, and it’s time.”
As for how he foresees beating the Irish firebrand McGregor, Mendes said it could go a variety of ways.
“If I could go out there and knock this dude out, I definitely think that’s a possibility,” he said. “He takes a lot of punches in fights and comes in with his hands down a lot and he gets cocky in there a little bit. I feel like I have the power and the speed to put this guy out. If not I can see myself taking this dude out by taking him down and submitting him. I’ve seen past fights where he’s lost, got submitted. The guy, he’ll tap. He’s got that give up, that quit in him. And I’m really going to test that in this fight. And if not either of those two [outcomes] I’d be more than happy to go five rounds of putting this dude on his back, beating a hole in his face the whole time. Any of the three sounds good to me.”
As Jose Aldo tried to battle through a rib injury ahead of his title defense against Conor McGregor at UFC 189, the contingency plan — Chad Mendes — began preparing himself as if Aldo were already out.
On Tuesday, as UFC president announced on SportsCenter, that became a reality. In what was one of the stranger situations heading into a big pay-per-view event, Mendes will now step in and fight McGregor for the interim featherweight title on July 11.
His leap of faith paid off.
“As soon as I got this call and they said get ready I basically just shut out any possibility that Aldo was coming back,” Mendes said during an appearance on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, a full day before he got the news. “I’m basically treating this like I’m fighting Conor for the title. I have to get my weight down. I’m coming up with a game plan and going over it, fine-tuning cardio. I’m pretending like I’m getting in there, and I’m fighting. That’s my mindset. I wake up every morning, I sit there and game plan stuff while I’m laying in bed before I get out.”
“And I’m excited, man. I think this is a great match-up for me. Conor’s a tough guy, but Conor’s a guy I know I can beat. He better pray that Aldo can go in there and fight because I’m going to mess that dude up.”
Mendes said that part of the reason he was confident about stepping in was that he keeps himself in fight shape year-round. As of Monday he was walking around 163 to 164 pounds — close to the weight he’s usually at two weeks before a fight.
Even when he was still uncertain as to whether or not he’d be facing McGregor at UFC 189, Mendes said he felt fortunate for the opportunity. Mendes was deadlocked with fellow featherweight Frankie Edgar to get the next shot, and he wasn’t promised the winner should Aldo have fought McGregor as planned. To get the opportunity ahead of Edgar did make him feel for the former lightweight champ.
“I feel for him,” he said of Edgar, who is coming off a victory over Mendes’ teammate Urijah Faber. “I have nothing against Frankie. Me and Frankie are right there in the same spot. Ultimately that was up to the UFC. Obviously I feel very honored that they chose me, but yeah, I feel like Frankie could make a case just as much as I could.”
Mendes, who is coming off a huge TKO victory of his own over Ricardo Lamas in April, said that he’s been watching McGregor going back to his UFC debut against Marcus Brimage in 2013. Though this was an opportunity he said he couldn’t refuse, Mendes was very surprised that McGregor agreed to fight him — a 5-foot-6 wrestler — when the UFC came to him with the alternative plan.
“[McGregor] just went through an entire training camp for a guy that’s a Muay Thai fighter, and now he’s facing a guy that’s going to put him on his back,” Mendes said. “It definitely changes the whole game plan but, I just heard his coach [John Kavanagh] talking. This is a fight that a lot of people from Ireland are coming to see, taking out big loans and stuff. So it would be pretty messed up on his part to have to back out now with all his friends and family coming. There’s a lot of pressure on that, a lot riding on him to keep that fight going. So I don’t think he has a choice.”
As one of McGregor’s frequent targets in the media, Mendes and McGregor have had a contentious history together. Yet asked if the fight was personal to him, Mendes said he would present a stoical face once he stepped inside the Octagon.
“He’s definitely said things to make this personal…the guy just loves talking crap, though, I mean, that’s Conor,” he said. “He’s an actor, he’s a guy that’s selling fights. I’m not going to get in there and fight emotionally. I’m going to love to beat the crap out of this guy, don’t get me wrong, but there’s nothing that dude’s going to say to take me out of my game, push me too far or make me fight emotionally. I’m going to get in there and do what I do every single time. I’m going to put the pace on him, I’m going to put him on his back and I’m going to make him uncomfortable and I’m going to beat the crap out of him. Bottom line is this is what I was born to do, and it’s time.”
As for how he foresees beating the Irish firebrand McGregor, Mendes said it could go a variety of ways.
“If I could go out there and knock this dude out, I definitely think that’s a possibility,” he said. “He takes a lot of punches in fights and comes in with his hands down a lot and he gets cocky in there a little bit. I feel like I have the power and the speed to put this guy out. If not I can see myself taking this dude out by taking him down and submitting him. I’ve seen past fights where he’s lost, got submitted. The guy, he’ll tap. He’s got that give up, that quit in him. And I’m really going to test that in this fight. And if not either of those two [outcomes] I’d be more than happy to go five rounds of putting this dude on his back, beating a hole in his face the whole time. Any of the three sounds good to me.”
When UFC officials selected Chad Mendes as the main event “Plan B” for UFC 189, Frankie Edgar fans—not to mention the man himself—felt a little short-changed. After all, the former lightweight champ is on a four-fight winning streak, going 4-1 overall since dropping down to 145 pounds in early 2013. Mendes is on a pretty […]
When UFC officials selected Chad Mendes as the main event “Plan B” for UFC 189, Frankie Edgar fans—not to mention the man himself—felt a little short-changed. After all, the former lightweight champ is on a four-fight winning streak, going 4-1 overall since dropping down to 145 pounds in early 2013. Mendes is on a pretty […]
God, what a week. I’m not sure what else to say, but I feel like exhaling those words is more than appropriate.
Where do we begin? First there was total uncertainty about the originally-scheduled main event between Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor due …
God, what a week. I’m not sure what else to say, but I feel like exhaling those words is more than appropriate.
Where do we begin? First there was total uncertainty about the originally-scheduled main event between Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor due to the Brazilian’s rib injury. Then there was speculation it wouldn’t happen followed by UFC brass picking Chad Mendes over Frankie Edgar in the event a substitution was needed. Now Aldo is out, Mendes is in, an interim title is on the line and…what a mess.
Speaking of which, the UFC unveiled their new uniforms they’re calling ‘UFC Fight Kits’. These are made by Reebok and the reviews have less than mixed. I tend to think some of the criticism is unfair, much of it not. We’ll break down all…
The UFC has already lost an All-American showdown for its doomed New York debut, but now middleweight champion Chris Weidman sounds doubtful for the matchup.
Weidman was penciled in to face No. 1 contender Luke Rockhold Dec. 5 at Madison Square Garden, but plans may be shifting with MMA remaining illegal in New York state.
According to Weidman, Rockhold may need to further prove himself to get a shot at the belt.
“I don’t know when I’m fighting next,” Weidman tells MMAmania.com. “There are rumors that [Rockhold] might be fighting for a No. 1 contendership against Jacare [Ronaldo Souza] next.”
In 2011, Rockhold took the Strikeforce middleweight title from Souza via unanimous decision in a massive upset. Just 7-1 at the time, Rockhold hadn’t fought beyond the first round in his career. The 25 minutes he spent in the cage with Souza actually totaled more cage time than his previous eight fights, combined.
Unfortunately for Rockhold, that win could be marginalized after seeing how Machida fared against Yoel Romero last weekend in Hollywood, Florida.
Prior to making his now-infamous post-fight comments, Romero stopped Machida early in the third round with a few vicious elbows.
“I think Yoel Romero is great,” Weidman said. “It was a great finish for him. I just think it’s crazy that Machida took that fight on such short notice after losing his last fight by knockout[sic]. It was 10 weeks after his fight, in a small cage, against a wrestler. There was a lot against him. I feel bad.”
Prez. UFC president Dana White talks about Tuesday’s Reebok fight kit unveiling, the drama surrounding UFC 189, Yoel Romero’s controversial post-fight comments and much more.
‘They say I’m just talk, but here I am walking.’ Conor McGregor talks about the uncertainty surrounding his UFC 189 title fight against Jose Aldo from all angles, the possibility of fighting Chad Mendes instead and much more.
Found something you’d like to see in the Morning Report? Just hit me up on Twitter @SaintMMA and we’ll include it in tomorrow’s column.
The UFC has already lost an All-American showdown for its doomed New York debut, but now middleweight champion Chris Weidman sounds doubtful for the matchup.
Weidman was penciled in to face No. 1 contender Luke Rockhold Dec. 5 at Madison Square Garden, but plans may be shifting with MMA remaining illegal in New York state.
According to Weidman, Rockhold may need to further prove himself to get a shot at the belt.
“I don’t know when I’m fighting next,” Weidman tells MMAmania.com. “There are rumors that [Rockhold] might be fighting for a No. 1 contendership against Jacare [Ronaldo Souza] next.”
In 2011, Rockhold took the Strikeforce middleweight title from Souza via unanimous decision in a massive upset. Just 7-1 at the time, Rockhold hadn’t fought beyond the first round in his career. The 25 minutes he spent in the cage with Souza actually totaled more cage time than his previous eight fights, combined.
Unfortunately for Rockhold, that win could be marginalized after seeing how Machida fared against Yoel Romero last weekend in Hollywood, Florida.
Prior to making his now-infamous post-fight comments, Romero stopped Machida early in the third round with a few vicious elbows.
“I think Yoel Romero is great,” Weidman said. “It was a great finish for him. I just think it’s crazy that Machida took that fight on such short notice after losing his last fight by knockout[sic]. It was 10 weeks after his fight, in a small cage, against a wrestler. There was a lot against him. I feel bad.”
Prez. UFC president Dana White talks about Tuesday’s Reebok fight kit unveiling, the drama surrounding UFC 189, Yoel Romero’s controversial post-fight comments and much more.
‘They say I’m just talk, but here I am walking.’ Conor McGregor talks about the uncertainty surrounding his UFC 189 title fight against Jose Aldo from all angles, the possibility of fighting Chad Mendes instead and much more.
There is no such thing as consensus when discussing MMA history. It’s both fractured and fiercely contested, with fans separating into self-selected groups and arguing on message boards and Twitter. Dividing lines have been drawn and hyperbole reigns. If you want to see how bad it can get, simply ask any group of hardcore fans […]
There is no such thing as consensus when discussing MMA history. It’s both fractured and fiercely contested, with fans separating into self-selected groups and arguing on message boards and Twitter. Dividing lines have been drawn and hyperbole reigns. If you want to see how bad it can get, simply ask any group of hardcore fans […]
