Conor McGregor looked to be having a grand old time at the expense of Chad Mendes on Tuesday’s edition of Beyond the Octagon.
Dressed to the nines, the Irish MMA star was live in the BT Sports studio, where show host Gareth Davies was conducting …
ConorMcGregor looked to be having a grand old time at the expense of Chad Mendes on Tuesday’s edition of Beyond the Octagon.
Dressed to the nines, the Irish MMA star was live in the BT Sports studio, where show host Gareth Davies was conducting a dual interview via Skype with Mendes. It didn’t take long for things to get ugly.
McGregor wasted little time in going for the jugular by poking fun at Mendes’ height and even threatening to rest his man parts on the top featherweight contender’s head. Like so many featherweights before him, Mendes appeared a bit flustered in the smack-talking department.
It’s interesting that Mendes would even take the bait and engage McGregor at all, considering he has a UFC title fight scheduled with Jose Aldo on Saturday night. Aldo has been fairly consistent in evading most McGregor questions leading up to his seventh consecutive UFC title defense.
McGregor, who defeated featherweight contender Dustin Poirier a few weeks ago, hasn’t shied away from calling out the entire 145-pound division. He also vowed to be in Brazil on Saturday at UFC 179 to watch what he’s deemed the “No. 1 contender” fight between Aldo and Mendes.
Love him or hate him, McGregor has brought desperate needed attention to a division starving for pay-per-view stars.
During McGregor’s post-fight interview at UFC 178, commentator Joe Rogan informed him that 10 percent of all the tickets sold for the event came from Ireland. When speaking on Fox Sports 1’s post-UFC 178 show (h/t MMAJunkie.com), UFC president Dana White boldly proclaimed McGregor as a bigger star than both Georges St-Pierre and Brock Lesnar.
A first-round TKO over a talented fighter like Poirierisn’t anything to take lightly, but the gap in talent widens significantly the closer McGregor gets to the top.
Is McGregor destined to wear UFC gold, or is he merely money in the bank account of a top contender?
JordyMcElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA writer for Rocktagon.
UFC featherweight contender Chad Mendes was doing a segment for BT Sport yesterday, just trying to hype his title fight rematch against Jose Aldo this Saturday at UFC 179. Then, disaster struck. Host Gareth A. Davies asked him if he had a message for Conor McGregor, who was conveniently in the studio at the time. In retrospect, Mendes should have declined the offer.
First, Mendes argues that he is in fact only three inches shorter than McGregor. Then, Mendes asks if the Irishman knows what wrestling is. “I can rest my balls on your forehead,” McGregor says, causing pandemonium among the partisans in the building. It’s the kind of diss you’d hear from a middle-schooler, but when delivered from the smoothie in the suit, it’s OMG THE MOST EPIC BURN EVER #SHOTSFIRED #GAMERGATE. McGregor goes on to brag that he’ll be bunking up with the Fertittas in their suite this weekend.
Poor Chad. I’m sure he’d much rather talk about the actual fight that’s happening three days from now, instead of hypothetical grudge matches against cereal mascots. But unfortunately, his opponent is pretty much M.I.A. from the promotional trail, except for random interviews about how he deserves more money.
Yes, there is a UFC PPV this weekend. The card looks like this. Who’s watching?
UFC featherweight contender Chad Mendes was doing a segment for BT Sport yesterday, just trying to hype his title fight rematch against Jose Aldo this Saturday at UFC 179. Then, disaster struck. Host Gareth A. Davies asked him if he had a message for Conor McGregor, who was conveniently in the studio at the time. In retrospect, Mendes should have declined the offer.
First, Mendes argues that he is in fact only three inches shorter than McGregor. Then, Mendes asks if the Irishman knows what wrestling is. “I can rest my balls on your forehead,” McGregor says, causing pandemonium among the partisans in the building. It’s the kind of diss you’d hear from a middle-schooler, but when delivered from the smoothie in the suit, it’s OMG THE MOST EPIC BURN EVER #SHOTSFIRED #GAMERGATE. McGregor goes on to brag that he’ll be bunking up with the Fertittas in their suite this weekend.
Poor Chad. I’m sure he’d much rather talk about the actual fight that’s happening three days from now, instead of hypothetical grudge matches against cereal mascots. But unfortunately, his opponent is pretty much M.I.A. from the promotional trail, except for random interviews about how he deserves more money.
Yes, there is a UFC PPV this weekend. The card looks like this. Who’s watching?
Jose Aldo’s latest title defense at UFC 179 will have little impact on his legacy.
Sure, Chad Mendes might be able to stamp his place in history by putting an end to Aldo’s 17-fight winning streak in front of what could be 11,000 of the champion’s coun…
Jose Aldo’s latest title defense at UFC 179 will have little impact on his legacy.
Sure, Chad Mendes might be able to stamp his place in history by putting an end to Aldo’s 17-fight winning streak in front of what could be 11,000 of the champion’s countrymen. Perhaps Aldo runs through Mendes once more, ruining Mendes‘ hopes of bringing a second title to Team Alpha Male.
He was the greatest MMA featherweight before fighting Mendes for a second time. He will be the greatest MMA featherweight after fighting Mendes for a second time.
The following slides illustrate the greatest moments that have helped solidify Aldo’s place in the UFC’s version of Cooperstown, New York.
Mixed martial arts is a chaotic sport where two athletes step into a cage to battle for physical supremacy, and it is the competition of it all that drives Chad Mendes.
The Team Alpha Male standout and current No. 1 contender to the featherweight…
Mixed martial arts is a chaotic sport where two athletes step into a cage to battle for physical supremacy, and it is the competition of it all that drives Chad Mendes.
The Team Alpha Male standout and current No. 1 contender to the featherweight crown has been in some form of athletic competition since the age of five, and he’s grown up adhering to a belief in sportsmanship and an appreciation for those he has competed against.
While the mutual respect between champion and challenger was obvious before and in the immediate aftermath of their first bout at UFC 142 back in 2012, that particular element between the two men has dissolved over the past two years.
Although both Aldo and Mendes have continued on their respective paths and have been successful in every outing since their first meeting, “Junior” has never hesitated to launch a barb in the former title challenger’s direction when he’s asked about Mendes in interviews.
The Nova Uniao leader has launched a series of veiled allegations in Mendes’ direction, suggesting the Sacramento-based fighter uses special “supplements” to gain an athletic edge, per C.J. Tuttle of Sherdog. And while Mendes has always responded to those accusations in kind, “Money” has also lived up to his nickname, as he’s put together an impressive five-fight winning streak to earn his way back to another title opportunity.
He will get another shot at the pound-for-pound great at UFC 179 this Saturday night, and Mendes is coming into Rio de Janeiro as a man on a mission. Not only will he be looking to fulfill his dream of becoming the featherweight champion, but he also has every intention of making the long-reigning champion eat his words.
“There is always somewhat of a personal aspect to every fight,” Mendes told Bleacher Report. “It’s just the nature of the business. Obviously I respect Aldo as a fighter. He’s the champion and I can’t come into this fight not respecting his talent and skill level. I obviously do respect him in that sense. It’s something I’ve trained for and prepared my mind and body to get in there and face the champion.
“But he said a lot of s–t about me in the media and that’s not cool. Whether he respects me or not, if you want to say these things to sell a fight or whatever caused you to say them, my like for you has gone completely out the window. This is now a fight against a person who is trying to beat me up and trying to take the money I use to put food in my mouth. This no longer has anything to do with me liking or respecting him. There is going to be a war in there.
“The ultimate goal is to win the title. That is something that needs to happen in my mind. My mindset is to go in there and take the belt from whoever has it, and he’s the one holding it right now.”
Coming into their first meeting at UFC 142, the bout was the classic “striker vs. wrestler” pairing from a stylistic standpoint. While the rematch will still hold similar aspects, both fighters’ skill sets have progressed from their tilt two years ago. On that front, Mendes has definitely shown the most improvement, as he’s expanded his dynamic wrestling base to include power striking with proven knockout capabilities. Of his current five-fight winning streak, only one of those victories went to the judges’ cards, as the other four opponents suffered knockout losses.
That said, Aldo has built an impressive winning streak in his own right, as the reigning champion has notched 17 consecutive wins since November 2005. It has been nearly a decade since the Brazilian knockout artist last tasted defeat, but Mendes is confident he has what it takes to dethrone the featherweight king at UFC 179.
“I’ve watched a lot of tape leading up to my first fight with Jose and I’ve watched every fight he’s had since then. He hasn’t made a ton of improvements. Jose is really damn good at what he does and that is why he’s the champion. He hasn’t had any reason to change anything up because he’s been beating everyone with what works for him.
“I feel like I’ve made major improvements in my game. The first time we fought I was only two fights into the UFC. When I watch the tape, I look like I was a baby in there. I look so much younger and smaller and I feel I’ve grown up a lot as both a person and a fighter since then. I truly believe this is going to be a different fight the second time around. It’s been over two years now and I’m a much better fighter.
“I’m more experienced with everything about my fight game now,” he added. “Even making the trip to Brazil for this fight is something I feel comfortable with. For my first fight with Jose, that was the first time I had ever flown out of the country and fought in an opponent’s backyard. It was a big learning experience for me and I have that aspect under control. I’ve also done a lot of game planning for this fight with Duane Ludwig and the new head coach at Alpha Male, Martin Kampmann. It just came down to meshing the two views on Aldo with what works for my body and fighting style and I believe we have a great game plan to win this fight.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
UFC 179 plays host to the rematch between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes.
Aldo won the first encounter by TKO and then ran out of the cage to celebrate with the feverish Brazilian crowd. It was one of the best sights in MMA. Pure joy.
Mendes has won five st…
UFC 179 plays host to the rematch between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes.
Aldo won the first encounter by TKO and then ran out of the cage to celebrate with the feverish Brazilian crowd. It was one of the best sights in MMA. Pure joy.
Mendes has won five straight fights, four by knockout, to earn another shot at Aldo’s championship belt.
The Brazilian champion is one of the pound-for-pound best in the world. He is the last remaining non-American champion in the organization. He will enter in front of a friendly crowd with a lot of weight on his shoulders.
UFC 179’s main event is a true No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup, a rarity in sports these days. The UFC brings you the rematch the featherweight division has been waiting for.
Let’s break down the featherweight tilt from head to toe.
The UFC is back!
After a plethora of fight cards throughout 2014 the UFC gave everyone a few weeks break from action. Now an 11-fight slate brings back MMA action. UFC 179 takes place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The main event is a rematch between Chad …
The UFC is back!
After a plethora of fight cards throughout 2014 the UFC gave everyone a few weeks break from action. Now an 11-fight slate brings back MMA action. UFC 179 takes place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The main event is a rematch between Chad “Money” Mendes and Jose Aldo. The two originally battled in Brazil at UFC 142 in 2012. More than two years later Mendes has earned another crack at the championship. Mendes’ first bid ended in the first round after Aldo broke free and turned to unleash a brutal knee to Mendes’ face.
Outside of the main event there are plenty of quality fights that should satisfy the fan’s desire for finishes.
This is your complete guide to UFC 179. We will take a look at each and every fight on the card, tell you where you can watch it, and even throw in some predictions for you as well. Without further delay, let’s walk through the UFC 179 fight card.
Conor McGregor looked to be having a grand old time at the expense of Chad Mendes on Tuesday’s edition of Beyond the Octagon.