(Well. . . . . . . Is a mugshot really necessary?)
If you Google search the phrase “alpha male back door” the results include things about a jealous monkey attacking a man as well as something about a she-male’s back door. You can thank me later for not linking the Potato Nation to the latter but former #1 contender Chad Mendes, a member of Team Alpha Male, is being sought by Hanford, California authorities after he “allegedly sucker punched a patron in the face and took off running out the back door” according to the Hanford Sentinel.
As many as 40 people were involved in an inebriated fracas (or as I like to call it – a SHITSTORM) at the Lacy Inn Bar. By all accounts, a police officer was on patrol and drove past the business where he/she witnessed two men fighting. When the cop stopped to break up the scuffle, one of the combatants turned their aggression towards the officer. When johnny law called for back-up a multitude of presumably drunken patrons came spilling out of the bar like they were entering a big box electronics store on Black Friday. I thought this shit only happened in old Clint Eastwood movies starring an orangutan.
(Well . . . . . . . Is a mugshot really necessary?)
If you Google search the phrase “alpha male back door,” the results include things about a jealous monkey attacking a man as well as something about a she-male’s back door. You can thank me later for not linking the Potato Nation to the latter, but former #1 contender Chad Mendes, a member of Team Alpha Male, is being sought by Hanford, California authorities after he “allegedly sucker punched a patron in the face and took off running out the back door” according to the Hanford Sentinel.
As many as 40 people were involved in an inebriated fracas (or as I like to call it – a SHITSTORM) at the Lacy Inn Bar. By all accounts, a police officer was on patrol and drove past the business where he/she witnessed two men fighting. When the cop stopped to break up the scuffle, one of the combatants turned their aggression towards the officer. When Johnny Law called for back-up, a multitude of presumably drunken patrons came spilling out of the bar like they were entering a big box electronics store on Black Friday. I thought this shit only happened in old Clint Eastwood movies starring an orangutan.
A Pier 6 brawl ensued until more police (as well as the Gang Task Force Unit) arrived to break up the awesomeness. According to the authorities, Mendes was recognized and was said to be visibly intoxicated as he “began cursing at the deputies and officers” before he was asked to vacate the premises. Instead of leaving, though, he went back into the watering hole. Then (this is when it gets real good), reportedly, Mendes decked a guy that “never saw it coming” and ran out the back door of the presumably high-class establishment. Cops chased him behind the bar along a set of railroad tracks but could not keep up with the highly conditioned professional athlete because running hills with Urijah Faber is better for your cardio than a jelly. Mendes has not been seen since.
The Sheriff’s Office has been trying to reach Mendes for questioning but their attempts have been unproductive. Mendes is sought for questioning and if he does not materialize by Monday, the District Attorney’s Office will be requested to file formal charges against the UFC fighter and an arrest warrant will be issued. Because of his MMA instruction and professional fighting skill-set, Mendes could be charged with assault with a deadly weapon. Though Mendes is still M.I.A. – four people were arrested at the scene of the brawl for public intoxication, no police officers were reportedly injured and the case remains open as investigation continues. We’ll keep you updated as the story unfolds.
Chad “Money” Mendes is apparently wanted for questioning by Hanford, Calif. local authorities following a 40-man brawl at Lacey Inn Bar where it was alleged Mendes blind-sided a punter, leaving his victim bruised.Reported by the Hanford Sentinel …
Chad “Money” Mendes is apparently wanted for questioning by Hanford, Calif. local authorities following a 40-man brawl at Lacey Inn Bar where it was alleged Mendes blind-sided a punter, leaving his victim bruised.
Mendes, 27, allegedly sucker punched a patron in the face and took off running out the back door. Officials say they have not been able to locate him.
[After breaking up a different fight] authorities recognized Mendes. He appeared to be intoxicated and began cursing at the deputies and officers, authorities said. They asked him to leave. Instead, he went back inside and struck one man who “never even saw him coming,” Assistant Sheriff Dave Putnam said.
As of yet, it’s not known whether or not his victim was an innocent bystander or part of the fracas.
“The victim felt lucky to walk out with just a contusion after being punched by Mendes,” Putnam said.
Thus far, Mendes has failed to make contact with the Hanford authorities, and as a consequence, a warrant for his arrest could be forthcoming.
“If we don’t speak with him by Monday, then we’ll request that the District Attorney’s Office file charges against him,” Putnam said. “Then we can pick him up on an arrest warrant.”
Although Mendes is being sought after, at this moment in time, said allegations have yet to be substantiated.
However, if it turns out he was in fact the perpetrator of the crime, because of his mixed martial arts background, the assumption is that he could be looking at a hefty fine or even worse, jail time.
“With his training as a professional fighter, he could be looking at a charge of assault with a deadly weapon,” Putnam said. “That’s something the District Attorney’s Office will have to weigh out when they make their filing decision.”
Mendes’ (12-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) last outing was a 31-second blitzing of Cody McKenzie back at UFC 148.
Prior to the aforementioned fight, the 145-pounder suffered an opening stanza knockout to current UFC featherweight titlist Jose “Scarface” Aldo in the main event of UFC 142, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Chad Mendes failed in his attempt to win the Featherweight Championship in January, but at UFC 148 he proved that he should get another chance.Mendes made quick work of opponent Cody McKenzie and was able to finish him off with a knockout in only 31 se…
Chad Mendes failed in his attempt to win the Featherweight Championship in January, but at UFC 148 he proved that he should get another chance.
Mendes made quick work of opponent Cody McKenzie and was able to finish him off with a knockout in only 31 seconds.
While McKenzie did not come into the match highly touted, the quick knockout showed just how dominant Mendes can be when he performs to his ability.
“Money” Mendes earned his title fight after winning the first 11 matches of his career. He earned seven unanimous decisions, received two submissions and two more knockouts. The more he won, the more it showed there were not too many better in the sport.
Unfortunately, the battle against Jose Aldo at UFC 142 did not last too long. The champ was able to knockout Mendes at the end of the first round with some brutal shots with the knee.
Fighters like Hatsu Hioki have stumbled in their path to get to Aldo. Other veterans deserve respect as quality fighters, like Pat Curran and Dennis Siver, but both have had positive and negative moments in their careers.
On the other hand, Mendes has continued to prove that he is one of the best in the division. He is still entering his prime and has plenty of great fighting ahead of him.
His only career loss is to the current champion, and he should get another opportunity.
There are a few fights Mendes will have to win in order to get that chance, possibly against Chan Sun Jung or Ricardo Lamas, but sooner or later the talented fighter will get his hands on the belt.
Anderson Silva may have stopped Chael Sonnen in the main event at UFC 148, but the quickest and most painful-looking stoppage of the evening belonged to team Alpha Male’s Chad “Money” Mendes. Mendes’ matchup with Cody McKenzie, which served as McKenzie…
Anderson Silva may have stopped Chael Sonnen in the main event at UFC 148, but the quickest and most painful-looking stoppage of the evening belonged to team Alpha Male’s Chad “Money” Mendes.
Mendes’ matchup with Cody McKenzie, which served as McKenzie’s first foray into the 145 lb. division, showed off “Money’s” improving stand up and incredible power.
As McKenzie threw a lazy kick, Mendes countered with a vicious punch to the solar plexus which dropped and ultimately finished his lanky foe just :31 into Round One.
For Mendes, the win was impressive, and it stirred up questions about his title legitimacy and the chances of him getting a second crack at Jose Aldo’s featherweight strap.
Are these questions justified?
Hell yes.
Chad Mendes is the second best fighter at 145 lbs., despite having names like Eric Koch ahead of him in the pecking order.
“Money” trains with one of the best featherweights of all time in Urijah Faber, and he is constantly evolving as a mixed martial artist.
He showed off improving power in his hands against McKenzie, and this, coupled with his always phenomenal wrestling and top control, makes him a legitimate threat at 145 lbs.
Can he beat Jose Aldo, though?
Honestly, it’s unclear. He can, as much as anybody can beat anybody, but Aldo remains on a different level than other featherweights. We have not seen the champion in any real adversity inside the Octagon, and it’s unclear that Mendes can be the guy to take it to him.
That said, Mendes is absolutely a top five featherweight, and he deserves a much higher level of competition than a scraggly dude with one good technique in his arsenal. Cody McKenzie has a good personality. His professionalism is good for the sport, but he is not even a top 10 fighter in any division in the UFC.
Chad Mendes deserves better, and with names like Dennis Siver and Hatsu Hioki in the featherweight division, a top five fighter can certainly do better than Cody McKenzie.
Mendes will get a top-notch opponent in his next outing, he will defeat him and he will get another shot at Jose Aldo’s belt—and he will have earned it.
He’s put in the time, now it’s time for him to earn championship-level “money.”
Let’s get one thing straight: Last night’s co-main event was by no means a legacy-cementing fight. The legacies of both fighters had been cemented well before last night, with both Forrest Griffin and Tito Ortiz being very influential in the UFC’s push towards the mainstream, being involved in unforgettable fights and holding the light-heavyweight championship. While winning the trilogy would be a nice way to cap off an otherwise lackluster rivalry, it would be nothing more than another “W” in the grand scheme of things. Especially for Tito – while Forrest is arguably worthy of a Hall of Fame induction, Tito already has been inducted.
Which perhaps explained why Tito Ortiz seemed more aggressive throughout the fight: Forrest had little to lose, Tito had nothing to lose. While the aggression of “The People’s Champion” seemed to have Forrest Griffin on the verge of defeat a few times during the fight, in the end it wasn’t enough. For the majority of the fight, Griffin managed to outstrike Ortiz en route to the unanimous decision victory.
Really, there is little more to be said for the actual fight. Two aging veterans entered the cage and performed like aging veterans. Both men looked slow, both men gassed out early, and if it weren’t for the names involved, this fight would have had zero chance of taking home the $75k Fight of the Night honors. If you want to watch the fight again, watch the fight again – if you missed it, you didn’t miss much.
Let’s get one thing straight: Last night’s co-main event was by no means a legacy-cementing fight. The legacies of both fighters had been cemented well before last night, with both Forrest Griffin and Tito Ortiz being very influential in the UFC’s push towards the mainstream, being involved in unforgettable fights and holding the light-heavyweight championship. While winning the trilogy would be a nice way to cap off an otherwise lackluster rivalry, it would be nothing more than another “W” in the grand scheme of things. Especially for Tito – while Forrest is arguably worthy of a Hall of Fame induction, Tito already has been inducted.
Which perhaps explained why Tito Ortiz seemed more aggressive throughout the fight: Forrest had little to lose, Tito had nothing to lose. While the aggression of “The People’s Champion” seemed to have Forrest Griffin on the verge of defeat a few times during the fight, in the end it wasn’t enough. For the majority of the fight, Griffin managed to outstrike Ortiz en route to the unanimous decision victory.
Really, there is little more to be said for the actual fight. Two aging veterans entered the cage and performed like aging veterans. Both men looked slow, both men gassed out early, and if it weren’t for the names involved, this fight would have had zero chance of taking home the $75k Fight of the Night honors. If you want to watch the fight again, watch the fight again – if you missed it, you didn’t miss much.
As for the implications of the bout: Does the victory for Forrest Griffin keep him relevant in the light-heavyweight division? Don’t be crazy – Griffin looked unmotivated and admitted to letting himself be lazy throughout the fight. Does the victory improve his chances of getting into the UFC Hall of Fame? Ask Frank Shamrock to comment on whether admission into the UFC Hall of Fame relies strictly on your record. Forrest Griffin’s Hall of Fame credentials begin with his legendary bout against Stephan Bonnar and end with his victory over Rampage Jackson for the light-heavyweight title. The fact that he jabbed and wheezed his way through three rounds against a fellow aging veteran should be treated for what it is: A footnote in his career. Even if he lost last night, I’d still be convinced that he’ll one day be in the UFC Hall of Fame.
As for his bizarre post-fight decision to walk out of the cage and head towards the locker room? I’ll leave that for you all to debate. To me, what was supposed to be a time for Tito to receive one last ovation from the fans became a collective “WTF” moment for everyone involved. Rather than continuing to focus on Griffin’s antics, let’s put the spotlight back where it belongs. Thank you for the memories, Tito. It’s a shame you went out winning only one of your last nine fights, but your legacy as one of our sport’s greatest light heavyweights had been cemented well before this.
Speaking of legacies, Cung Le certainly improved his with a hard-fought victory over the returning Patrick Cote. The decorated forty year kickboxer and former Strikeforce champion picked up his first victory in the UFC over arguably his toughest test to date. Le used his dynamic striking to outpoint Cote and pull off the upset; although when Cote was able to get inside against Le, he was able to do some damage.
While a victory in the UFC is a feather in the cap of any martial artist, it’s doubtful that Le has too much further to go from here. Aside from being forty years old, he’s also a somewhat one dimensional fighter attempting to make his way through a division with wrestlers like Jake Shields, Chael Sonnen, Chris Weidman and Mark Munoz, just to name a few. Even guys like Michael Bisping, Brian Stann and Alan Belcher are balanced enough to keep Le from the deep end of the division. This isn’t meant to take away anything from Le – it’s a reminder rather that he’s not an answer to the stalemate that has become the UFC middleweight division.
As for the rest of the fights on the main card, they happened. I wish I could say more for them than that, but honestly, there’s nothing that even can be said for them. Sorry, Maia fans, but I’m not going to act like a forty-seven second freak injury tells us anything about Demian Maia‘s attempt to rejuvenate his career by dropping to welterweight. Likewise, we’ve literally said since the booking of the fight that Mendes vs. McKenzie was a ridiculous mismatch. The fact that it ended the way it did, a thirty-second body shot KO, proved it. Also, Easton vs. Menjivar provided fans exactly what they expected: A fast paced unanimous decision that has become par for the course whenever the bantamweights are in the cage. Easton came out on top, looking good, but not great. Expect at least one more victory from Easton before he’s trusted with a title shot. Meanwhile, Menjivar drops to 24-9 in his career, and will be back to the drawing board after winning three straight in the UFC before last night.
Anderson Silva v Chael Sonnen In one of the most hyped fights in UFC history, middleweight champion Anderson Silva once again defended his title against Chael Sonnen. For one round, it looked like we may.
Anderson Silva v Chael Sonnen
In one of the most hyped fights in UFC history, middleweight champion Anderson Silva once again defended his title against Chael Sonnen. For one round, it looked like we may have been witnessing a replay of their first fight. Sonnen came out and immediately landed a takedown. Just like the first fight, he proceeded to land his particular brand of annoying but not very damaging ground and pound. He managed to move to mount by the end of the round but was only able to land a few shoulder strikes after moving into the dominant position. Sonnen started the second round exactly the same way. He pushed Silva against the cage and worked for the takedown. But this time Silva was able to do what he was unable to do in the first fight. He defended the takedown and managed to get separation from Sonnen. Upon separating, Silva did some showboating. With his arms by his sides, he popped Sonnen with a quick right. Sonnen countered with a left that seemed to hurt Silva just enough to make him angry. Silva pushed forward with aggression rarely seen in his UFC title run. He didn’t land anything cleanly but his forward push put Sonnen off balance. And then for a reason no one will ever understand, olympic caliber wrestler Chael Sonnen decided to throw a backyard fight club style spinning back fist that resulted in him sitting on his butt against the cage seemingly unsure of what to do. Silva wan’t unsure and threw a knee to the body of his seated opponent. He then attacked with punches. Sonnen eventually stood up. But a right hand to the chin put him back down and he would not get up again.
Silva never landed the flashy strike that I’m sure he envisioned in training but he did enough to establish that Sonnen does not belong in the same cage with him. Once again, Sonnen showed that he panics when he senses danger and instead of going through the proper progression of defensive techniques, he puts himself in a position to be finished. He was basically running away when he threw the back fist and when he hit the ground, he just sat there and waited for Silva to attack. He didn’t seem to have changed anything about his gameplan and that simply was not going to be enough to win the fight. Anderson Silva is one of the best pound for pound fighters on the planet and he doesn’t currently have a legitimate contender in his division. Alan Belcher, Michael Bisping and Brian Stann are the names currently being discussed in the title picture and none of them look like a serious threat. Hector Lombard looms in the background but he needs at least one solid UFC victory before he can be considered a serious contender. So for now, Silva remains the undisputed king of the 185 pound division. Sonnen drops back down in the rankings and I don’t see a reason for him to ever get another shot at Silva unless he absolutely cleans out every other contender in the division, which seems unlikely.
Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz
The third match in this trilogy between former light heavyweight champions proved to be the clear fight of the night as Griffin slugged his way to a hard fought decision victory over Ortiz. Ortiz managed to land a couple of takedowns in the first round but was not able to keep Griffin down or do any damage and when the fight was standing, Griffin out landed Ortiz by a wide margin. The second round started with Ortiz dropping Griffin with a right hand but after that, Griffin once again dominated the rest of the round. The third round was the only one that I scored for Ortiz as he once again dropped Griffin, this time with the left hand. From there he was able to get a takedown and control the fight for the majority of the round. Once Griffin got back to his feet, he controlled the striking just as he did in the first two rounds but it wasn’t enough to win back the round. As much as I would have loved to score this fight in favor of Ortiz, the striking statistics made it obvious that Griffin was the clear winner. Ortiz actually landed the bigger power punches but the volume of Griffin’s strikes was overwhelming and he deserved to have his hand raised.
For Ortiz, I can’t imagine a better way to leave the sport regardless of the outcome. He slugged it out with another hall of famer for three exciting rounds and went out on his sword. He never gave in to the relentless pressure and had Griffin in danger several times. This trilogy is one of the better ones in MMA history thus far with all three fights going to a decision and being relatively close. Ortiz has been a polarizing figure throughout his MMA career but last night, he gave the fans a great way to remember him.
Cung Le vs. Patrick Cote
Cung Le proved that he isn’t done yet in the UFC middleweight division with a convincing victory over Patrick Cote. Cote simply could not figure out Le’s trademark san shou style as Le battered him with kicks and punches. Cote stayed in the fight and landed several power shots of his own but was never able to put Le in danger and was unable to cope with the volume and variety of strikes coming from his opponent. The fight was close through most of the first round with both fighters landing and Cote being the aggressor. But after taking several shots, Cote started to back off and that was the recipe for his defeat. When he relented, he allowed Le to find his range and from that point on, Le controlled the fight. By the middle of the second round, he was beginning to dominate using his full arsenal of kick and punch combinations. When the third round started, the outcome of the fight was not in doubt and Le continued his assault battering Cote all around the cage. He even landed a takedown at the end of the round. Cote was game but was outclassed throughout the majority of the fight and could not find a home for his powerful right hand. For Cote, this could mean a quick exit from the UFC. He will probably get one more fight and will need to win that if he hopes to stay in the big show. For Le, this puts him back in the hunt in the middle of the 185 lb division. He will likely see another step up in competition but at age forty, he likely doesn’t have much time left to compete at the highest level. He seemed to tire late in this fight but Cote didn’t have the skill set to take advantage of it. Against higher level competition, that will likely be a bigger issue.
Demian Maia vs. Dong Hyun Kim
What could have been an entertaining fight ended in the first minute due to injury when Kim appeared to suffer a broken rib on a routine takedown by Maia. What we did learn in this fight is that Maia looked great at 170 lbs. Kim is one of the larger fighters in the division and Maia looked just as big so instead of being one of the smaller middleweights, he’ll now be one of the bigger welterweights. We also learned that Maia wasn’t just talking when he said he was going back to his jiu-jitsu routes. He wasted no time in attempting a single leg takedown and quickly transitioned to Kim’s back. He was relentless and appeared to be gaining a dominant position before Kim suffered his injury. We’ll never know how the fight would have ended had it been able to continue but Maia had the early advantage. From here, Maia will likely get to step up in competition due to his name and Kim will likely continue to tread water in the middle of the division until he gets another opportunity against a high level fighter. Ideally, a rematch would be possible. But that seems unlikely considering the timeline on Kim’s recovery and the UFC’s probable eagerness to move Maia up the welterweight ranks.
Chad Mendes vs. Cody McKenzie
This fight was an obvious mismatch on paper and proved to be even more of a mismatch in the cage. McKenzie threw a sloppy kick to open the fight, Mendes caught it, countered with a right to the body and ended the fight. McKenzie’s run on the Ultimate Fighter based entirely on the novelty of his modified guillotine was fun but he clearly doesn’t have the technique or athleticism to seriously compete in the featherweight division. On the opposite end of that featherweight spectrum is Mendes who is still one of the best in the world at 145 lbs despite his title fight loss to Jose Aldo. Mendes should see a return to fighting against top tier competition in his next fight while McKenzie will likely spend the next year or so struggling to stay in the UFC. The unfortunate part about mismatches like this is that we don’t really learn anything about either fighter and neither fighter really has a chance to grow. But for Mendes, this at least puts another finish on his record and hopefully he can carry the momentum from such a dominating performance into his next fight.
Ivan Menjivar vs. Mike Easton
In the opening fight of the UFC 148 main card, Mike Easton and Ivan Menjivar struck their way to a close three round decision. Neither fighter ever gained a significant advantage and neither fighter was ever in any danger of being finished. The difference in the fight proved to be Easton’s relentless pressure and forward movement. Menjivar seemed to have the cleaner technique early in the fight and was able to initially avoid most of Easton’s power shots while countering with his own. But as the fight progressed, Easton’s leg kicks and body shots started to take effect and Menjivar’s movement slowed significantly compared to the first round. By the third round, Easton began to take a clear advantage and was obviously the fresher fighter. He landed several several power strikes and scored a takedown when Menjivar attempted a spinning back kick. I was surprised to see two of the judges score all three rounds for Easton as I thought the fight was closer than that. I gave Menjivar the first round and had him ahead in the second round until Easton stole it at the end. But the third was clearly in favor of Easton and he deserved the victory. He will see a step up in competition but if he wants to progress in the bantamweight division, he will need to continue to improve as both of his recent victories have been close decisions. At this point in his career, Menjivar is who he is as a fighter. He will continue to provide entertaining fights and should serve as an effective gatekeeper at 135 lbs.
Chad “Money” Mendes is apparently wanted for questioning by Hanford, Calif. local authorities following a 40-man brawl at Lacey Inn Bar where it was alleged Mendes blind-sided a punter, leaving his victim bruised.
