We are just one day away from the biggest fight card of 2015.
Headlined by an illustrious featherweight showdown between Irish phenom Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes, as well as a co-main event rematch between welterweight champion Robbie Lawler and Ror…
We are just one day away from the biggest fight card of 2015.
Headlined by an illustrious featherweight showdown between Irish phenom Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes, as well as a co-main event rematch between welterweight champion Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald, UFC 189 is poised to produce.
Results may vary, especially considering Mendes is stepping in on short notice to fill in for champion Jose Aldo, but the aura surrounding the biggest event in promotional history remains intact.
However, through all of the media obligations, commercials, interviews, press conferences, trash-talking and Twitter beef, the action itself often gets overshadowed by the pageantry.
That’s all due to come to an end this Saturday as the Octagon door rockets shut and the only things that reign supreme are high-flying leather, quick movement, execution and resilience.
But who will fare the best when it matters most? What needs to be done to secure the most sought after success?
Here are the keys to victory for each fighter involved in UFC 189’s marquee matchups.
Lost in all the buzz surrounding UFC 189’s main event between Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes is an epic co-main event between Rory MacDonald and Robbie Lawler. Usually the term co-main event is a bit of a misnomer. It’s more like the appetizer to …
Lost in all the buzz surrounding UFC 189‘s main event between Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes is an epic co-main event between Rory MacDonald and Robbie Lawler.
Usually the term co-main event is a bit of a misnomer. It’s more like the appetizer to a greater event. That simply isn’t the case with this one. Not only is there an undisputed championship on the line as opposed to an interim one, but it’s a matchup with some history.
Lawler and MacDonald locked horns back in UFC 167. Heading into the bout, MacDonald was on a five-fight win streak and appeared ready to make the leap to champion sooner rather than later. Conversely, Lawler was just two fights removed from a 1-3 run in Strikeforce.
What was supposed to be an easy win for MacDonald turned into a huge career boost for Lawler. He stunned the Canadian up-and-comer with a game plan that neutralized his opponent’s jab and earned him the nod in a split decision.
Ruthless went on to get a title shot against Johny Hendricks that he lost. Ultimately, it paved the way for a rematch that saw him become a UFC champion.
Now the two will meet again with the stakes raised. Here’s a look at how the two stack up along with the latest odds from Odds Shark.
What They’re Saying
Despite his championship status, Lawler actually comes in as the slight underdog according to the odds. That probably stems from a sense that MacDonald has improved since their first meeting. He has reeled off wins over Demian Maia, Tyron Woodley and Tarec Saffiedine since losing to Lawler.
Regardless of the logic, one man who isn’t interested is Lawler himself. The champion has played the underdog role before and will be playing it again Saturday night.
“That’s just the way it is. Maybe they’re seeing something that I’m not seeing. Everyone’s got an opinion and not all of them are good ones,” Lawler said in regards to being the underdog, per Damon Martin of Fox Sports. “I’m excited to showcase that I’m the better man. Plain and simple.”
A fair assumption could be made about the first fight that MacDonald didn’t take Lawler as serious as he should have the first time around. He came into the bout as the heir apparent to the welterweight crown held by Georges St-Pierre. Lawyer was considered a journeyman. It isn’t out of the realm of possibility a 23-year-old put the cart before the horse.
That’s not going to happen again. The Tristar gym product has made it clear he’s learned from the fight and knows he has his work cut out for him.
“I’m happy that I got to go through that,” MacDonald said, according to Martin. “I lacked the experience in other martial arts. I needed a longer road than some because I lacked the experience at a higher level of competition. I’m grateful for it. I think it’s all come together perfectly.”
MacDonald went on to praise the improvements that Lawler has made to his game even since their first fight. Whether MacDonald’s respect for his opponent had anything to do with the first result or not, it doesn’t appear that it will have an effect on this fight either way.
Prediction
Speaking of the fight going either way, making predictions on this fight is not the easiest thing in the world. There’s a reason the line is relatively close even if MacDonald is a slight favorite.
Both fighters are willing to play each other’s game. MacDonald loves to engage in technical kickboxing bouts and control where the fight takes place. Lawler is willing to participate in a kickboxing match as long as it means he gets to throw a few bombs here and there.
As Reed Kuhn of Fightnomics highlights, MacDonald looks to control fights, whereas Lawler is a little more comfortable allowing his opponents to dictate where the fight takes place:
He’s looking to knock his opponent out either way. Oversimplifying the fight, MacDonald is a true tactician while Lawler is a classic brawler, looking to do his best impression of Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em robots whenever possible.
In a rematch, traditional thinking would say that MacDonald holds the advantage. He’s more likely to make the necessary adjustments to change the result in a second fight. However, as Mike Bohn of MMAjunkie notes, Lawler is actually a perfect 3-0 in his rematches:
MacDonald has never had a rematch, though. Lawler picked up the win against Hendricks in the biggest rematch of his career, but it wasn’t like it was an emphatic win. He picked up a very close split decision.
The champion has been walking a dangerous line lately. According to FightMetric, he’s been taken down multiple times in each of his bouts since his win over MacDonald. In that span, he’s won two decisions and earned a third-round knockout victory.
That penchant for letting opponents dictate the fight is going to catch up to him eventually. With MacDonald now a little older and wiser, Saturday night is as good a time as any.
Prediction: MacDonald to win via unanimous decision.
The main event at UFC 189 lost one of its stars, but the replacement could provide an even better bout. A rib injury forced Jose Aldo out of his grudge match with “The Notorious” Conor McGregor. Chad Mendes has stepped up, and he represents an interest…
The main event at UFC 189 lost one of its stars, but the replacement could provide an even better bout. A rib injury forced Jose Aldo out of his grudge match with “The Notorious” Conor McGregor. Chad Mendes has stepped up, and he represents an interesting challenge for McGregor.
Joe Rogan of the UFC previews the bout, while McGregor discusses the bout in the video below:
Known for his outstanding stand-up skills, McGregor has a 100 percent takedown defense rating, per FightMetric. He’ll probably need to demonstrate that skill against a world-class wrestler like Mendes.
The short, stocky and powerful Mendes will want to get inside to land a big right hand and/or to put McGregor on his back for the first time in his career. The man who wins this mini game will be victorious.
My prediction is: Mendes.
McGregor has never faced a wrestler of Mendes’ ilk. The latter has the head movement and explosion to get inside The Notorious One’s striking game. Mendes will plant him and finish the fight via ground-and-pound in the second round.
Here’s the viewing information, card and predictions for the rest of the UFC 189 card.
Almost Too Close to Call
Predicting the winner of the rematch between UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald is perhaps the most difficult fight to call on the card.
The champion hasn’t fought since winning the title by split decision over Johny Hendricks in December 2014. After fighting five times in 13 months, Lawler took some time off. Will he be rusty?
I expect Lawler will show some Octagon rust, and the hungry, poised and dangerous MacDonald will take advantage. Up to this point in Lawler’s recent career, he’s been able to handle top-notch wrestlers like Hendricks. Lawler has stopped 64 percent of the takedowns attempted against him.
That won’t be good enough against MacDonald. In their first meeting, MacDonald secured four of five takedowns, but he was unable to finish Lawler from top position.
He won’t stop or submit the rugged Lawler this time either, but he will earn the decision victory based on top control and takedowns. MacDonald will be the new 170-pound champion.
Look Out for Almeida
The next big UFC star is going to compete at UFC 189, and no, I’m not talking about McGregor. Brazilian bantamweight Thomas Almeida has all the goods. He’s 18-0 with a 94 percent stoppage percentage in his fights.
On Saturday night, Almeida faces veteran Brad Pickett. The latter won’t be upright long.
Almeida’s grappling and submissions are solid, but they pale in comparison to his diverse and devastating striking prowess. There are few, if any, fighters in the sport who change levels on strikes as quickly and nasty as Almeida.
At Pickett’s expense, Almeida is going to grab a lot of people’s attention on Saturday.
UFC 189 is shaping up to become the most lucrative mixed martial arts event on U.S. soil, as it will become the first card to boast a $7 million gate. The general public’s interest regarding the main event that will feature Conor McGregor (17-2) …
UFC 189 is shaping up to become the most lucrative mixed martial arts event on U.S. soil, as it will become the first card to boast a $7 million gate. The general public’s interest regarding the main event that will feature ConorMcGregor (17-2) and Chad Mendes (17-2) is due to the former’s out-of-Octagon antics and constant bad mouthing of his former UFC 189 opponent, featherweight champion Jose Aldo.
Aldo was recently forced to pull out of the main event, as a result of a rib fracture during training. However, before his withdrawal, the stage had already been set. McGregor promoted UFC 189 almost single-handedly by spewing expletives at the champion and stealing his belt at a Dublin press conference in his home country of Ireland.
Now that Aldo is injured, his replacement, Mendes, will reap the benefits of all the build-up leading to the fight. In addition, the two will now fight for the interim featherweight title, with hopes of facing Aldo later on this year.
However, despite Mendes’ respectable record, his profound background in collegiate wrestling and No. 1-ranked fighter status, most oddsmakers deem the 30-year-old the underdog heading into UFC 189. The latter is ironic, given Mendes‘ skill set. He is a two-time Division I All-American wrestler and has only lost to the champion. The California native also boasts power in his hands, sporting seven knockouts in his career and has beaten three fighters off the UFC’s Top-10 list—Ricardo Lamas (No. 4), NikLentz (No. 9) and Clay Guida (No. 10).
Conversely, despite McGregor’s 13-fight win streak, most of those victories occurred in other second-rate organizations. In addition, the Irishman is practically untested in the UFC. McGregor has only fought just one top-10 contender in Max Holloway at UFC Fight Night 26. He has never faced a fighter with an arsenal as complete as that of Mendes.
Nevertheless, McGregor is more than confident heading into UFC 189, and berated the No. 1 contender at a recent press conference. According to Martin Domin of the Daily Mail, the Irishman stated:
He’s (Mendes) a rookie; he’s a white belt on the mat. In the grappling exchanges he will learn and panic will set in and he will cower like a little girl and begin his run, but I will catch him… I built this event, this is the McGregor show. I’m going to eliminate my opponent, and I’m going to enjoy every moment of it.
However, during that same press conference, Mendes responded to his opponent’s vitriol.
Conor is a very one-dimensional fighter. He is a long, southpaw, stand-up fighter who doesn’t have wrestling, he doesn’t have j[i]u-jitsu. You wipe all that hype out, and I’m going to destroy him. He’s a black belt in trash talking;… if you throw the trash talk away, it’s an easy fight for me.
On paper, Mendes appears to be the more complete fighter. His undefeated record has only been marred by the champion, and the No. 1 contender has fought more higher-caliber fighters throughout his career. Yet, McGregor believes in his ability to become interim champion to the point that he recently bet the CEO and the president of the UFC, Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White, $3 million that he’d knock out Mendes in the second round.
Irrespective of the odds regarding either opponent, the victor will more than likely fight the champion after he recovers from his rib injury. Aldo has not lost a fight in almost 10 years, and whether he faces off against Mendes or McGregor, the odds will surely be in his favor.
LAS VEGAS — There was a lot of buzz surrounding Thomas Almeida’s arrival to the UFC, and the 23-year-old Brazilian has lived up to the hype every step of the way.
While the bantamweight phenom’s upcoming bout against Brad Pickett at UFC 189 …
LAS VEGAS — There was a lot of buzz surrounding Thomas Almeida’s arrival to the UFC, and the 23-year-old Brazilian has lived up to the hype every step of the way.
While the bantamweight phenom’s upcoming bout against Brad Pickett at UFC 189 on Saturday night will only be his third showing inside the Octagon, the up-and-coming prospect’s resume already speaks volumes. Almeida has found victory in each of his 19 bouts as a professional, with only one of his opponents surviving to see the scorecards.
Furthermore, only three men who have faced him managed to make it out of the opening round, and Almeida’s knack for settling the opposition has served to bolster the excitement surrounding him. His ability to not only win fights but do so in spectacular fashion has many in the MMA community following his rise through the ranks of the 135-pound collective.
Even UFC President Dana White has been singing Almeida’s praises, and getting the UFC front man’s attention is something he takes pride in.
“I’m always looking for a knockout in my fights, and I think that is what people love to see the most,” Almeida told Bleacher Report with the assistance of a translator. “I try to give them that every time I fight. People seem to really like my style. It is also very important to have the boss saying good things about you.”
After drubbing veteran Yves Jabouin in his last fight at UFC 186 back in April, Almeida made it clear he was ready for bigger tests. And that is what many believe his bout with the hard-charging British slugger will represent.
However, Almeida isn’t focusing on the challenges Pickett will bring him inside the Octagon but the chance to showcase his skills on the biggest card of the year at UFC 189.
“This is a big event,” Almeida said. “It is one of the biggest in UFC history, and there are a lot of great fighters on this card. What motivates me the most in this fight is that I’m the only Brazilian fighter on this card, and it is on me to represent my culture. There is a lot of expectation on me because people love the way I fight, and that’s exactly how I want it to be.
“I am going to rise to the occasion and showcase my skills on Saturday night. I really want to show the world who Thomas Almeida is.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
Look, we are well aware that we here at CagePotato have never been considered the go-to source for expert fight analysis (or timely delivered news, or comedic-themed MMA content, even…). That was, until now! We are proud to present an exclusive, recurring video serieswhich previews and breaks down the biggest matchups from upcoming UFC events, all technical like. This is Fight University, starring former UFC fighter Santino DeFranco!
If you recall, Santino DeFranco is a 13-4 MMA veteran and TUF 9 alum who has competed under the Bodog, King of the Cage, and K-1 banners and scored wins over Melvin Guillard and Waylon Lowe (among others). DeFranco also happens to hold an MFA in creative writing, and in addition to the exclusive recaps he wrote for us while competing on the ninth season of The Ultimate Fighter, has written for Fightland and Sherdog. Suffice it to say, dude’s qualified.
Check out Santino’s inaugural installment above, which previews the last-minute (but still hotly-anticipated) interim featherweight title fight between Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes at UFC 189 this weekend. And if that’s not awesome enough, keep an eye out for Gambler’s Gambit, an updated version of our gambling enabler pieces that DeFranco will *also* be penning for us moving forward. The first entry of that series drops tomorrow!
Look, we are well aware that we here at CagePotato have never been considered the go-to source for expert fight analysis (or timely delivered news, or comedic-themed MMA content, even…). That was, until now! We are proud to present an exclusive, recurring video serieswhich previews and breaks down the biggest matchups from upcoming UFC events, all technical like. This is Fight University, starring former UFC fighter Santino DeFranco!
If you recall, Santino DeFranco is a 13-4 MMA veteran and TUF 9 alum who has competed under the Bodog, King of the Cage, and K-1 banners and scored wins over Melvin Guillard and Waylon Lowe (among others). DeFranco also happens to hold an MFA in creative writing, and in addition to the exclusive recaps he wrote for us while competing on the ninth season of The Ultimate Fighter, has written for Fightland and Sherdog. Suffice it to say, dude’s qualified.
Check out Santino’s inaugural installment above, which previews the last-minute (but still hotly-anticipated) interim featherweight title fight between Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes at UFC 189 this weekend. And if that’s not awesome enough, keep an eye out for Gambler’s Gambit, an updated version of our gambling enabler pieces that DeFranco will *also* be penning for us moving forward. The first entry of that series drops tomorrow!
Lost in all the buzz surrounding 