Dennis Bermudez hit the cage at UFC 189 looking to right the ship of his featherweight contendership, as his 30-month run of seven consecutive wins came to a halt with a loss in November of last year.
His opponent, Jeremy Stephens, was in the process o…
Dennis Bermudez hit the cage at UFC 189 looking to right the ship of his featherweight contendership, as his 30-month run of seven consecutive wins came to a halt with a loss in November of last year.
His opponent, Jeremy Stephens, was in the process of enjoying a featherweight surge of his own before a couple of losses derailed him and left him in a must-win situation on Saturday night. It started poorly for him by missing weight, but he turned it around in a big way with a flying-knee knockout in the third round that left the MGM Grand crowd in a frenzy.
Here’s what we learned from the matchup.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
On a night where a theme of spectacular flying knees seemed to be clear, Stephens might have bested Thomas Almeida’s work earlier in the evening. Falling away from a charging Bermudez, he tagged his opponent with a textbook strike to end the bout.
It was a remarkable way to end things and showed Lil’ Heathen still has some gas in the tank.
What We Learned About Bermudez
That he’s still close to the top of the division despite the setback. He looked good at times but was perhaps too eager to get into a wild scrap with a man built to fight that way, and it cost him. With his wrestling, Bermudez will never be totally out of contention, and his athleticism will allow him to continue to round out his skills with a bit of hard work.
After some time back at the drawing board, he can still move up the ranks.
What We Learned About Stephens
He might still have it.
His losses coming into UFC 189 were close ones, and he hung with a fired-up Bermudez for the entire fight on Saturday until a chance to end the fight presented itself. He fought through some big shots and a couple of severe cuts to score his biggest win at featherweight, and he’ll hope to notch another big win his next time out.
What’s Next for Bermudez
He should meet a fellow wrestler in the back half of the top 10. A fight with NikLentz makes sense for Bermudez.
What’s Next for Stephens
Ricardo Lamas is coming off a loss and has been floating near the top of the weight class for a while. He’d work for Stephens.
UFC 189 welterweights Gunnar Nelson and Brandon Thatch entered the cage in the exact same situation. Both men were the hottest prospects in the division and looked stellar for a time but lost to seasoned veterans.
Only one man would return to welterwei…
UFC 189 welterweights Gunnar Nelson and Brandon Thatch entered the cage in the exact same situation. Both men were the hottest prospects in the division and looked stellar for a time but lost to seasoned veterans.
Only one man would return to welterweight relevance…and that man would be Nelson.
After feeling his opponent out, the Icelandic grappler nailed a perfect jab-cross combination that rocked the lanky welterweight. From there, Nelson worked his preternatural grappling skills and scored a quick, impressive submission in the first round. So what did we learn from this fight?
Gunnar Nelson Is Totally Legit
This one is straightforward. The relatively small sample size with Nelson made it easy to question how good he was, and his loss to Rick Story gave the doubters plenty to work with.
Against Thatch, however, he demonstrated improved striking in addition to his established submission skills. On that alone, it is easy to buy into him as a legitimate welterweight who can hang with top-10 talents. There are loads of potential interesting matchups for him over the horizon, and there are few fighters that he couldn’t beat.
Brandon Thatch Is Not Legit
Thatch has all the physical tools in the world. He has absurd striking power. He has reach that other fighters would kill for. Unfortunately, he basically has no grappling defense to speak of.
Former lightweight Benson Henderson was able to exploit those weaknesses when he fought Thatch earlier this year, and that was telling all on its own. Watching Thatch thoughtlessly give up his back against Nelson, however, was a different thing entirely.
Thatch’s grappling simply isn’t where it needs to be for him to contend with serious welterweight talent. He can surely still win fights in the UFC…but he really, really needs to fix this.
Still a card-carrying member of the Brandon Thatch fan club. Some holes to shore up but back-to-back change of opponents hasn’t helped.
Matchmaking is a tricky thing, and when a guy like Nelson loses to a guy like Story, it can result in a major drop in competition. This win, however, reasserts Nelson as an elite-level welterweight.
The 170-pound division is incredibly active over the next two months, so it is tough to tell who could wind up as an opponent for Nelson. Fights with Carlos Condit, Dong-Hyun Kim or Demian Maia would all be interesting.
Here’s hoping Nelson walked out of this fight healthy. It would be best if he returned to the cage as soon as possible.
Amidst a slick new graphics package making its debut on pay-per-view, UFC 189 kicked off on Saturday with a classic battle of a veteran versus an up-and-comer, as popular Englishman Brad Pickett returned to 135 pounds to throw hands with undefeated Bra…
Amidst a slick new graphics package making its debut on pay-per-view, UFC 189 kicked off on Saturday with a classic battle of a veteran versus an up-and-comer, as popular Englishman Brad Pickett returned to 135 pounds to throw hands with undefeated Brazilian prospect Thomas Almeida.
It was a great way to start the event with a bang, as Almeida scored a wild flying-knee knockout early in the second round. The bout was an absolute barnburner, providing nonstop violence from the open bell to its savage end, with both men landing big combinations and wobbling each other on occasion.
Here’s what we learned.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
We’ll never forget the finish.
After slugging it out for a round and a bit, Almeida launched himself through the air and landed a beautiful knee on the button. With so much hype surrounding his UFC arrival and career to date, it was the perfect way to punctuate his 20th consecutive MMA win and made for quite the memorable occurrence.
What We Learned About Almeida
He can survive in fairly deep water against a veteran with a strong killer instinct.
In the first round, the 23-year-old ate some major shots and suffered through concussive punishment before getting on track and taking over the back half of the frame. He displayed his poise by coming back and finishing the fight so spectacularly, and it showed he’s ready for the next level of competition at bantamweight.
What We Learned About Pickett
Even at 36 and coming off three straight losses, he’s not done by a long shot. This was his first (T)KO loss in over 10 years, and he looked as good as someone could in losing the way he did. He nearly scored a stoppage of his own in the first round and looked excellent with his movement and combinations.
Another chance at bantamweight—his natural weight class after a forgettable run as a flyweight—is certainly warranted. Pickett is somewhere between a good test for youngsters and a guy who might still sneak into the top 10 with a couple of wins. The UFC needs those sorts of fighters on the roster.
What’s Next for Almeida
Depending on how fast the UFC wants to move him toward the top of the heap, the winner of next week’s Bryan Caraway-Eddie Wineland tilt makes sense.
What’s Next for Pickett
A loser-leaves-town battle against someone down the ladder could click with fans. Cody Gibson might be the guy to fit the bill.
The highly anticipated welterweight scrap fulfilled expectations. Matt Brown and Tim Means delivered in a stellar one-round altercation.
Means looked sharp early and staggered Brown. The ultra-tough Ohio native returned the favor and dropped Means lat…
The highly anticipated welterweight scrap fulfilled expectations. Matt Brown and Tim Means delivered in a stellar one-round altercation.
Means looked sharp early and staggered Brown. The ultra-tough Ohio native returned the favor and dropped Means later in the first. Means seemed to lose the range after that, but he did land one of his nasty elbow strikes. Brown just smiled in return.
Brown then landed a fight-altering elbow. Means was hurt, shot in and Brown locked in a guillotine on Means. The end came at 4:44 of the first round. Brown moves back into contention at 170 pounds.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
The end came with the guillotine, but it is the elbows that we will remember.
Those are the strikes that changed the course of the fight. Brown placed them perfectly to hurt and wobble Means. Brown is one of the best finishers in the UFC today. When he knows he has his opponent hurt, he knows exactly how to finish them off.
We will recall how Brown slipped in the heavy elbow right on the side of Means’ head.
What We Learned About Tim Means
If there was any question Means can compete against the upper echelon, he answered it on Saturday.
Yes, he lost. Yes, he lost in the first round. But he was in this fight. He hurt Brown. He just got caught. That was the only difference in this fight, and Means showed that he can compete with his style against anyone in the division. He still has numerous holes in his game, but he is continually improving.
Means is a fun fighter to watch. This was a learning experience that will only benefit Means down the road.
What We Learned About Matt Brown
This is a tough one to answer because we honestly did not learn anything new about Brown. This was a classic Matt Brown performance.
Brown is a gritty fighter who has sneakily improved into being one of the best in the world. His style opens himself up to get caught from time to time, and he lacks some of the top-end athleticism to consistently compete against the elite. However, his technical proficiency helps keep him in fights to make him a constant threat to finish at any point.
What’s Next for Tim Means
I would hate to see Means fight someone outside of the top 15. He showed he belongs.
A matchup against Ryan LaFlare could be the right fight. The winner would solidify their spot in the top 15. LaFlare is coming off a loss to Demian Maia.
It’s a stylistic matchup that is troublesome for both men. Means would have to prevent LaFlare from his grinding grappling, and LaFlare would have to avoid standing with Means for prolonged periods. It may not be the most enticing matchup available, but it makes sense for where they stand in the division.
I just do not want Means to be pushed back into fighting someone outside of the top 15. He has earned big-time fights.
What’s Next for Matt Brown
Carlos Condit. Please let it be Carlos Condit.
That fight would be amazing, and it could be a title eliminator. They are both ranked in the top five, and they are both finishers. Their styles complement each other so well it would be a shock if it weren’t Fight of the Night, regardless of what card it ends up on.
UFC 189 will conclude Saturday night in Las Vegas with the crowning of a new champion, as Chad Mendes and Conor McGregor meet for the interim featherweight belt. This fight was a late change, as champion Jose Aldo withdrew with an injury, leaving the s…
UFC 189 will conclude Saturday night in Las Vegas with the crowning of a new champion, as Chad Mendes and ConorMcGregor meet for the interim featherweight belt. This fight was a late change, as champion Jose Aldo withdrew with an injury, leaving the space for former challenger Mendes to step in.
Mendes vs. McGregor is one of just two title fights on the schedule, as welterweight champion Robbie Lawler defends against Rory MacDonald.
The entire main card is as follows:
Fighter A
Fighter B
Division
Chad Mendes
ConorMcGregor
Featherweight
Robbie Lawler
Rory MacDonald
Welterweight
Dennis Bermudez
Jeremy Stephens
149.5 Catchweight
Gunnar Nelson
Brandon Thatch
Welterweight
Thomas Almeida
Brad Pickett
Bantamweight
The start time for the PPV main card is 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, so the main event should kick off just after midnight. The Fight Pass prelims start at 7 p.m. ET, and the Fox Sports 1 prelims begin broadcasting an hour later.
While the Aldo-McGregor fight had been a highly anticipated superfight, McGregor vs. Mendes is definitely the next best thing and a great matchup in its own right. Both men have distinct tactical advantages over their opponent. In Mendes‘ case, he is the superior wrestler, but McGregor has a staggering eight-inch reach advantage.
With all the possible outcomes available in an MMA fight, picking a victor is often tough. The tactical advantages each fighter possesses in this one make it particularly dicey.
Speaking to MixedMartialArts.com’s Jonathan Shrager the week, UFC flyweight Joseph Benavidez was confident Mendes, his Team Alpha Male teammate, would prevail, citing the fact that Mendes “has so many ways to win the fight.”
Of course, that sort of confidence coming from Mendes‘ own camp is hardly going to impress the swaggering Irishman. Last night on Twitter, McGregor posted this photo of himself posing with some high-priced jewelry:
Reflecting the close nature of this bout, the MMA media is largely split on their predictions. Stating that Mendes represents “a nightmare matchup for McGregor” due to his wrestling, Fox Sports’ Elias Cepeda picked Mendes by Round 3 TKO.
Bleacher Report’s own MMA staff split 3-2 in favor of McGregor with its predictions. Scott Harris, Craig Amos and James McDonald all took Notorious by stoppage, while Riley Kontek had Mendes by Round 3 TKO and Sean Smith picked the American to win by unanimous decision.
The staff picks for MMAJunkie.com were just as close, but in the opposite direction, as it came down 5-4 in favor of Mendes.
On a video posted to the UFC’s own Youtube channel, the results of the professionals polled came out 5-3 in favor of McGregor, but everybody seemed to expect a close fight:
Ronda Rousey:
McGregor
Daniel Cormier:
Mendes
Demetrius Johnson
McGregor
JimiManuwa:
McGregor
Joanna Jedrzejcysyk:
McGregor
Johny Hendricks:
Mendes
Robbie Lawler:
McGregor
T.J. Dillashaw:
Mendes
It should be noted that the three fighters picking Mendes all come from a wrestling background. When you approach MMA with that as your base, it can be very hard to imagine a strong wrestler ever losing a fight to a non-wrestler.
That’s why my own pick ultimately comes down on the side of Mendes. I think McGregor‘s wide stance and front kick will make it very hard for Mendes to set up for a strong double attempt. But he should still be able to force clinches or work for a single leg.
Still, McGregor is a very special kind of striker. He throws very dangerous punches and kicks and can launch them from a dizzying array of angles and distances.
The clash of styles is a big part of what made MMA compelling in the first place. We could see a classic case of it tonight.
The path to UFC 189’s main event, featuring Chad Mendes and Conor McGregor fighting for the interim featherweight championship, has been unusual. Yet that hasn’t dampened the overall enthusiasm for the bout, which promises to be one of the most talked-…
The path to UFC 189‘s main event, featuring Chad Mendes and ConorMcGregor fighting for the interim featherweight championship, has been unusual. Yet that hasn’t dampened the overall enthusiasm for the bout, which promises to be one of the most talked-about fights of the year.
Current UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo was supposed to defend the belt against McGregor, but he injured one of his ribs during a sparring session and pulled out of the bout. McGregor has been building up to this moment for more than two years, winning all five of his UFC fights and four by TKO.
Fortunately, UFC president Dana White had an excellent backup plan in place. Mendes took Aldo to the extreme in their matchup at UFC 179 and came close to knocking the champion out in the first round before losing by unanimous decision.
Mendes and McGregor, along with Aldo, are the class of the featherweight division and are going to carry it into the future. Two of them will wage war on Saturday, setting up a future bout against Aldo that will be must-see television.
Tale of the Tape
Fight Odds
Fight Prediction
McGregor is a knockout machine, with 15 of his 17 career victories coming by dropping an opponent; Mendes isn’t a slouch in that department with seven knockouts, but he’s more precise with eight decision wins.
Yet stats listed by UFC.com show that Mendes is a more accurate striker, connecting on 373 of his 767 attempts. McGregor has hit on 165 of 385 attempts, but he’s got such power that the total volume is significantly lower because he can knock you out in the blink of an eye.
It’s because of that power, as well as McGregor‘s size advantage (three inches taller, eight-inch reach), that the Irishman has the odds in his favor.
However, Jeff Wagenheim of Sports Illustrated did raise a valid point about how UFC has groomed McGregor for his moment in the spotlight:
The promotion carefully matched McGregor with mid-level opponents who mainly preferred to do their fighting on their feet. This made for action-packed showcases, all safely within Conor’s brightly lit comfort zone. McGregor still had to perform, though, and he walked that walk like he belonged on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Just looking at the list of opponents McGregor has defeated in five UFC fights, there isn’t one star who will be fighting for titles and in main events for years to come. Dennis Siver is a solid striker who has some nice wins under his belt but never got into the title picture.
Putting McGregor in a fight with someone who has a more diverse skill set, like Mendes, can present problems if those punches aren’t landing early.
Eric Stinton of Sherdog.com broke down the advantage that Mendes will have if the fight takes a certain turn:
…Mendes has the juice to become the first person to take down McGregor. From there, it will be anyone’s guess how the action will go down, since McGregor’s overall ground game, outside of sturdy takedown defense, remains a mystery. Mendes, on the other hand, is a positional grappler who prefers working ground-and-pound to fishing for limbs to snag. His single submission victory came in his second WEC match in 2010, and since then, he has only attempted two more.
Yet even with Mendes‘ wrestling ability possibly negating what makes McGregor so effective, there’s still the matter of getting in close enough to take the 26-year-old down.
This is where McGregor‘s huge size advantage, especially the long reach, comes into play. In order to take someone down, you have to move in close. Moving in on a powerful striker who has a 74-inch reach is asking for trouble.
McGregor has no inhibitions at all in the cage. For all we know, he was born with his fists balled up and arms swinging. The Celtic Tiger wants to hit anything that stands in his way once the Octagon door shuts.
During a conference call, via Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times, McGregor talked about his strategy for the fight:
“He gasses too quick. I [predict] exchanges early. I see him gasping for breath…” McGregor said. “His body is going to be screaming for oxygen and I’m going to be … in his face cracking him with everything I have. Every shot. The heel. The knee. The elbow. The fist. … And that will be that.”
Mendes is regarded as one of the best wrestlers in all of mixed martial arts for a reason. He nearly knocked out the UFC featherweight champion, yet none of that feels like it will be enough against a bigger and stronger opponent on Saturday night.
One thing to keep an eye on is how long the fight lasts. Mendes is no stranger to long, drawn-out battles, with nine of his 19 career fights going the distance (eight wins), including a five-round fight against Aldo.
McGregor has only had one of his 19 career fights go to the third round. It was his second fight in UFC, a decision win over Max Holloway in August 2013. Putting him in a five-round bout with one of the division’s best-conditioned athletes has the potential to go wrong for the rising star.
UFC has wanted McGregor to be in the championship mix for a long time. This is his moment to prove that faith was not misplaced, and he is going to deliver.
