When the news first broke about Jose Aldo pulling out of his fifth title fight at Saturday’s UFC 189, Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White expressed frustration and disappointment on SportsCenter. But since adding Chad Mendes to th…
When the news first broke about Jose Aldo pulling out of his fifth title fight at Saturday’s UFC 189, Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White expressed frustration and disappointment on SportsCenter. But since adding Chad Mendes to the main bill with Conor McGregor, White told ESPN’s Ryen Russillo that UFC 189 is actually going to be better than it would have.
Now, of course, the president of any company is unlikely to bash his own product ahead of its release, but White mentioned specific numbers in his interview to point to the added success the new bill has brought.
“Jose Aldo falls out, ticket sales are at 6.8 million,” White said. “Chad Mendes comes in, ticket sales go through the roof. … It’s at 7.1 (million sales). It’s the biggest gate ever in the United States, and not only did it not lose interest, it almost sort of gained more interest, as crazy as that sounds.”
Here’s a look at what’s being said leading up to Saturday’s main event.
On the day that White announced Aldo’s exit, McGregor retweeted Fox Sports UFC linking to a story about Arnold Schwarzenegger calling him “one of the greatest athletes probably of all times.”
Schwarzenegger told Irish men’s lifestyle website Joe.ie that McGregor’s mental and physical balance are what make him so indomitable.
“He has the right combination of the mind, and the body and the talent,” Schwarzenegger said. “The two are connected so well with him, which I think is so important in athletics that you believe, 100 percent, in your victory.”
McGregor also had this to say following the pulling out of Aldo:
On the other side of the Octagon, Chad Mendes told UFC.com that he received a group text about Aldo’s injury and then a phone call an hour later asking him if he could make weight in a couple of weeks to be ready to step into Aldo’s place.
“I said, ‘Oh yeah. Let’s get in there and get after it,’” Mendes said.
On July 3, Mendes typified Instagram standards by posting a picture of his dinner, with a caption regarding making weight.
Wild red stag, brown rice and veggie stuffed bell peppers. Weight is right on point!! #killwhatueat #organic
A photo posted by Chadmendes (@chadmendes) on Instagram
In that same interview with UFC.com, Mendes talked about why he’ll have the upper hand on Saturday.
“I’ve watched a lot of stuff on Conor, I see his tendencies, I know what he loves to do,” Mendes said. “I see his weaknesses and I see his holes. This is a bad matchup for him, especially on two weeks notice. I hit guys, they go to sleep.”
And to show his own confidence, Mendes retweeted a UFC tweet about himself.
The variance in fighting styles has put predictions all over the map, but Bleacher Report’s own Alex Balentine predicts that McGregor will emerge with the belt after a second-round TKO of Mendes.
So Nation, as expected the most lavishly-promoted fight in UFC history has gone up in smoke. God. Dammit. What could of caused such wrath from the MMA gods? Oh, yeah. Thanks #UFCFightKit.
Anyways, the UFC did secure a back-up plan for the “Notorious” one in Team Alpha Male stud Chad Mendes. The two-time title challenger had been brought into Las Vegas as stand-by, as luck would of have it, was drafted in the 11th hour. Mendes is still a solid replacement against McGregor considering their heated arguments and arguably a tougher stylistic match-up, even if it’s not the fight we were all hoping for. But before I spiral into a deep depression, let’s get into the A-to-Z preview of this weekend’s still pretty epic event, shall we?
So Nation, as expected the most lavishly-promoted fight in UFC history has gone up in smoke. God. Dammit. What could of caused such wrath from the MMA gods? Oh, yeah. Thanks #UFCFightKit.
Anyways, the UFC did secure a back-up plan for the “Notorious” one in Team Alpha Male stud Chad Mendes. The two-time title challenger had been brought into Las Vegas as stand-by, as luck would of have it, was drafted in the 11th hour. Mendes is still a solid replacement against McGregor considering their heated arguments and arguably a tougher stylistic match-up, even if it’s not the fight we were all hoping for. But before I spiral into a deep depression, let’s get into the A-to-Z preview of this weekend’s still pretty epic event, shall we?
A is for Attention
Considering it’s one of the most coveted titles in the promotion’s history, Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald is getting next to no attention. Sure, neither Lawler nor MacDonald are as skilled as McGregor when it comes to the art of self-promoting, but Lawler’s rise from wasted talent to UFC champion is nothing short of remarkable, while MacDonald has been heralded for years as “the future of the sport.” I guess this what happens when you put all your eggs into the Aldo-McGregor basket.
B is for Beef
The new main-event can keep it’s feud narrative, if you ask me, but was Mendes’ beef with McGregor the overriding factor which got Mendes the nod over Frankie Edgar? The answer: UH-DUH!!
C is for Canada
Ever since GSP semi-retired, the Canadian market has sort of dwindled. That could all change come Saturday night if British Columbia native Rory MacDonald can become the new UFC welterweight champion. The promotion could do with a Canadian attraction, not only would it fill GSP’s void but they could also stop relying on Demetrious Johnson to headline cards over there. I’m sure the Canadian fans would be thankful.
D is for Deja-vu
Once upon a time, long before Renan Barao was a proverbial monster and/or beast, he took on Brad Pickett in what turned out to be his coming out party. It almost seems like deja-vu for poor Pickett, who is seemingly once again being set up as the sacrificial lamb to an up-and-coming Brazilian prospect, this time in the shape of the undefeated Thomas Almeida.
E is for Europe Joanna ‘Champion’ became the first UFC European champion since Andrei Arlovski. Man, that was some time ago. Before the Polish phenom, Alexander Gustafsson came close in a valiant effort against Jon Jones, and Khabib Nurmagomedov has likewise emerged as a hot commodity before a knee injury stalled his progress. Will McGregor fever secure a second UFC title for Europe on American soil, and just a week after Independence Day?
F is for Fest
Besides the title fight between Lawler and MacDonald, there are four other bouts scheduled at 170lbs. And as a result of Jordan Mein going down with injury, there was a shuffle of welterweights with the most hated fighter in the UFC (for some reason), Cathal Pendred, entering the frame against John Howard. UFC 189 is a regular welterweight-fest.
G is for Gate
Despite losing the most eagerly anticipated fight of the year, UFC 189 will still do a record $7 million gate, which eclipse’s the grudge rematch between Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen. This will be a promotional record in the U.S.
H is for Hunger
MacDonald finally lands his long-awaited UFC title shot against a familiar opponent. When the two of them squared of at UFC 167, Lawler eked out a razor-thin split decision, but MacDonald, who is now riding a three-fight win streak, believes that he didn’t have the hunger in their first meeting. The Tristar student now feels mentally and physically prepared as he enters the most important fight of his career.
I is for Ireland
There will be a strong Irish contingent present in Las Vegas come fight night, with over 20% of ticket sales coming from Ireland.
J is for Jose
The first and only UFC featherweight champion will have to sit out UFC 189 through the much publicised rib injury. In fact, Aldo has now pulled out of six title fights, yet the 145lbs strap has been defended more than a few of the other divisions.
K is for Key
When is the next UFC stadium show? This is a question which gets repeatedly linked with McGregor, who states that he is the only fighter on the roster who holds the key to what could be the promotion’s biggest gate ever. Both Aviva Stadium and Croke Park have been identified as possible hosts.
L is for Level
During the UFC 189 conference call, McGregor labelled replacement Mendes as a “substitute” and a “B-Level fighter”.
M is for Mayweather Chat show host Conon O’Brien opened a can of worms when he asked whether McGregor would be prepared to take on human-garbage Floyd Mayweather. Typically, the brash Irishman was confident he would defeat the undefeated boxer.
N is for No Love
– After a brilliant performance outpointing the dynamic Chris Beal, Neil Seery still finds himself stuck on Fight Pass.
– ‘No Love’ also returns on the televised prelims, as Cody Garbrandt is set to take on Henry Briones (we don’t know who that is either). Garbrandt look to build off his impressive debut back in January, where he beat up Marcus Brimage.
O is for October
Aldo could eventually return to the octagon in October, and wouldn’t you know it, the UFC recently announced their return to Ireland in, you guessed it, October. The Fight Night event is slated to air on Fight Pass, so any possible title fight would be unlikely, but a potential in-ring confrontation between Aldo and the new interim champ (whoever that may be)? Much more likely.
P is for Predictions
“I predict dese tings.” — the wise words of one Mystic Mac. The Dubliner likes a prediction or two, and he’s saying that the contest wont last longer than four minutes. As for Mendes, he believes the fight will be over within three rounds.
Q is for Quick Mike “Quick” Swick finally returns to the octagon after the second two-and-a-half year layoff of his career. Swick has now relocated to Thailand, where he’s set up an affiliate AKA gym, and takes on Alex Garcia in something of a grudge match.
R is for Random
According to “Red King” or whatever Rory’s nickname is nowadays, he has been subject to two random drug test during his preparation. Stay clean y’all.
S is for Sinead O’Connor
Irish singer Sinead O’Connor will be performing Foggy Dews live as she walks McGregor into the cage at UFC 189. This is an unprecedented move for the UFC, but then again, unprecedented is good way of describing McGregor’s rise to popularity.
T is for Toy
Aldo released a statement shorty after having to withdraw, where he called the interim title a “toy” and something for McGregor to show off to his “drunk friends”. A little presumptuous, Jose.
U is for Under The Bus
Company president Dana White (along with McGregor) broke the news about Aldo withdrawing live on Sportscenter, where he pretty much threw his champion under the bus by stating the amount of times he’s had to pull out and claiming that other fighters have fought with the same injury. This is something we’ve come to expect from The Baldfather.
V is for Van Damme
As Steven Seagal’s MMA tenure is slowly evaportating, fellow action star Jean-Claude Van Damme wants in on the action too, claiming he could help fix the mistakes in McGregor’s striking. You know what they say, behind every GOAT there is a B-movie action star.
W is for Wrestler
The wrestler question. For so long, McGregor haters have wanted to see the Irishmen tested against a true wrestler. His original path to gold saw him face tough competition, albeit against favourable match-ups, so has his success owed to the UFC overprotecting their golden child or clever matchmaking? I personally say the latter, but its up for debate. In either case, McGregor will answer a lot of these questions when he faces the featherweight division’s best wrestler on two weeks notice. Will he succumb to Mendes’ superior wrestling offense or will he be able to stuff the takedowns and keep the fight standing?
X is for X-Ray First it was a fracture and the fight was off, then it was only bruised and the fight was on, then the fight was hanging in the balance…until x-rays determined Aldo’s ribs were in fact fractured. This ultimately forced the Brazilian to withdraw from the most anticipated fight of the year. Sigh.
Y is for Yard
If ‘The Notorious’ is victorious on Saturday, could the unification bout be held in a stadium in his backyard? Methinks so.
Z is for Zillions
UFC 189′s gate will stay intact even with Aldo’s withdrawal, but the PPV will take a hit. According to White, the pay-per-view was tracking to hit the 1 million mark while McGregor was predicting, as usual, a zillion buys and for it to break UFC 100 numbers. The event should still do a healthy number, though it most likely won’t compensate for the zillions that were spent promoting this thing.
One way or another, we’re all going to get smarter.
No matter how things go for Conor McGregor against Chad Mendes on Saturday at UFC 189, we’ll come out of it with a clearer idea of what kind of fighter McGregor can truly be.
Until now, we…
One way or another, we’re all going to get smarter.
No matter how things go for Conor McGregor against Chad Mendes on Saturday at UFC 189, we’ll come out of it with a clearer idea of what kind of fighter McGregor can truly be.
Until now, we’ve had to take his word for it. He’s jetted to a 5-0 record in the UFC and has dispatched everyone matchmakers have handed him with extreme prejudice. He had never fought anybody as good as Jose Aldo, however, and—even now that the true featherweight champion is out with an injury—he’s never fought anybody like Mendes, either.
You might say this matchup is going to go a long way toward separating the facts from the fiction about McGregor. That’s important, since the brash Irishman has spent his entire UFC career spinning fantastical yarns about his own ability. If nothing else, it’ll be nice to finally do some fact-checking on McGregor’s wild tales.
Here, Bleacher Report Lead Writers Chad Dundas (that’s me) and Jonathan Snowden instruct us on which statements to take seriously and which to dismiss as make-believe headed into this weekend’s action.
Fact or Fiction: Conor McGregor emerges from UFC 189 as the new (interim) featherweight champion.
Chad: Fiction! By now it’s clear the UFC is dying to get McGregor’s paws on the 145-pound title, by any means necessary. By subbing in Mendes for the injured Aldo, however, the fight company managed to book its new golden child a short-notice bout against arguably the worst style matchup for him in the entire division.
The hard truth of the matter is that we have no idea yet how good McGregor actually is at fighting, but we’re damn sure he’s never run up against anybody the caliber of Mendes. The Irish Dandy, the oddsmakers and UFC brass all have a shock in store, as the underdog Mendes comes in off two weeks of hard training and wrestles that interim belt right out of McGregor’s hands.
Jonathan: Fiction! I hate you for making me take a firm position here. My gut tells me McGregor is the real deal—after all, the UFC rarely pushes fighters on the public quite this hard, choosing instead to make them run the gauntlet before meekly launching them into contender status after a series of wins and losses. That they’ve gone to these lengths with McGregor makes me think the company knows he’s legit.
But MMA history is a desert littered with the decaying bones of fighters who never quite lived up to their potential. While I might think McGregor can be a great fighter, I know Mendes is one. I’ve watched him augment his game over the years, becoming the kind of multifaceted fighter capable of beating just about anyone. I’m taking the safe bet, even when he’s coming in with just two weeks’ notice.
Chad: For what it’s worth, the good folks at Odds Shark disagree with us on the whole “safe bet” theory. In any case, a loss for McGregor doesn’t do him terrible harm. It would take all of one comeback victory for the UFC to rehabilitate his image and position him for that all-important title shot, maybe even before the end of the year.
Fact or Fiction: Rory MacDonald wins the UFC welterweight title and people are still kinda like “meh.”
Jonathan: Fact! As much as I loved seeing Robbie Lawler finally become the fighter everyone thought he would be back in 2001, there’s something a bit surreal about his rise to the top of the sport. It’s hard to forget the years of struggle and disappointment, even as he struts around with his shiny UFC title.
Lawler is a journeyman who went on a run for the ages. He’s had his moment—and it was glorious. We shouldn’t mistake that moment, however, with a mandate. Lawler is not the next dominant champion. He’s an aging feel-good story ready to cede his crown to the Red King.
Chad: I’m gonna say fiction. This week I rewatched Lawler’s first fight with MacDonald from UFC 167 and was reminded that for most of those 15 minutes, Rob Law was kinda kicking the Red King’s behind. I know in the aftermath MacDonald said he was injured and the second fight will be different and blah blah blah. I’m not really buying it, I guess. Lawler is 6-1 since the summer of 2012, and I think he stays on a roll here. MacDonald comes up short once again.
All hail Robert Glenn Lawler, ruler of all he surveys!
Jonathan: It’s funny—I recently rewatched that fight too and was struck by how evenly fought it was. According to FightMetric, both landed a similar number of significant strikes, with MacDonald mixing in four takedowns to offset his lack of thudding power. It felt like a toss-up, making the split decision no real surprise. But if MacDonald managed that performance short a few cylinders, imagine how well he performs with the engine running wide open?
Fact or Fiction: Everybody calms down a little bit when they see the new Reebok “fight kits” in action.
Chad: Fact! Look, every single development in the UFC-Reebok partnership has been a disaster so far. It would be hard for public sentiment around the new official “fight kits” to get any worse, frankly. But the Internet has had its say, and on Saturday we’re actually going to see living, breathing humans engage in unarmed combat in the new Reebok duds.
Once we do, our aggressive disdain for them will cool into more of a “sure, man, whatever” vibe. The kits are going to be fine, and we’re all going to chill out and accept a future that we can’t change anyway. Whether the “professional look” of that future is worth athletes losing big bucks in sponsor revenue just so the sport can appear a bit less tacky is another story, but the kits are here to stay.
The first step toward acceptance of that sad fact begins this weekend.
Jonathan: Fiction! Inevitably, the blogosphere and Twitterverse will stop talking about the UFC’s terrible new uniform. I agree with you there. After all, for us it’s a momentary distraction filling time in our humdrum lives. But “everybody” won’t calm down. Because, for fighters, the UFC’s decision to do away with the traditional sponsor system hits below the belt—more specifically it hits them in the pocketbook.
For years the UFC has kept the bulk of the profits earned through the athletes’ blood, sweet and occasional tears. That money, however, never touched a fighter’s bank account, so there was no real sense of loss. The Reebok deal takes something away. Fighters feel this loss more profoundly. It won’t be forgotten so easily.
Chad: And it shouldn’t be forgotten. Nobody wants to see fighters gain a seat at the negotiating table more than I do. To get there, though, will take unprecedented collective action on the part of the athletes. So far, we see a lot of talk in that direction and zero actual movement. Until they come together and organize in a meaningful way, we’re stuck with whatever bad fashion choices and one-sided financial deals the UFC and Reebok see fit to make on their own.
Just two days out from the highly anticipated UFC 189 headliner between Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes, the pre-fight buildup has grown to a roar.
The question on everyone’s mind? Is McGregor everything he claims he is?
The 26-year-old Not…
Just two days out from the highly anticipated UFC 189 headliner between ConorMcGregor and Chad Mendes, the pre-fight buildup has grown to a roar.
The question on everyone’s mind? Is McGregor everything he claims he is?
The 26-year-old Notorious One is, well, notorious for being a great promoter as well as a striker in the cage. When he talks, people listen. Apparently that even includes the oddsmakers.
After UFC President Dana White told The Jim Rome Show (h/t MMAFighting.com) that McGregor said he’d bet him $3 million he would finish Chad Mendes in the second-round, Kevin Bradley, who works for onlinesportsbookBovada, took notice.
“There was plenty of hype around this fight already and this proposed wager by McGregor just adds fuel to the UFC 189 odds fire,” Bradley said, per Jack Randall of Odds Shark. “When he called a second-round KO, we looked to see what the odds would be. Mendes is a formidable foe, but McGregor has been correct in the past and we believe 5-1 odds is correct here.”
When oddsmakers are legitimately considering what a fighter is saying to hype his own fight, that’s some serious charisma.
But charisma alone won’t beat Mendes. There’s no doubt that the Team Alpha Male product is the best wrestler and overall fighter McGregor has seen in his career. Here’s a look at how the two stack up statistically and the latest odds from Odds Shark:
What They’re Saying
McGregor isn’t the only one sounding off about this fight, though. As Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting noted, these two have been engaged in a war of words for much longer than the few weeks since the fight announcement:
Mendes himself referenced the Irishman’s taunts about his height in the past as something that makes this fight personal. “I’ve been short my whole life,” Mendes said, per Michael Martinez of UFC.com. “For me, it was when we had to do an interview before my Aldo fight and he’s talking about putting b-lls on my head and being very unprofessional. I made it personal.”
The 5’6″ Mendes does come into the bout much smaller than McGregor (5’9″), but it’s something he thinks he can make up for with his skills in the cage. “I have the athleticism, the strength, the power, the speed, and I have the wrestling to put him on his back and finish this fight. This fight is mine,” Mendes said, according to Martinez.
Although Jose Aldo had to pull out of the fight with a rib injury, he’ll also be pulling for Mendes. He took to Twitter to voice his support for the man he’s already beaten twice:
One thing is clear: Regardless of who wins, McGregor has ruffled the feathers of the top fighters in his division. With the bad blood still alive between himself and the champion, he isn’t going away anytime soon.
Fight Prediction
When the cage door shuts on Saturday, July 11, the talk won’t matter anymore. All that will be left is to see whether McGregor‘s skills are as good as he claims.
However, one aspect of the talk could play a huge role in the fight—McGregor‘s size. As Reed Kuhn of Fightnomics illustrated, McGregor is among the most rangy featherweights in the UFC:
McGregor could also be one of the heaviest featherweights in the sport. ChaelSonnen recently told TheJim Rome Show (h/t LowkickMMA.com) that the 26-year-old weighed 172 pounds just eight days before weigh-ins for the bout. Assuming McGregor is able to effectively shed that weight and put a lot of it back on in his rehydration, we could see a massive size difference in the Octagon on Saturday night.
The wrestling of Mendes is still a serious threat. We’ve never seen McGregor take on elite wrestling before, so that’s going to be a question until he proves otherwise in the cage. Considering the amount of time that Mendes spends controlling his opponents on the mat, there’s danger in this fight for the Notorious One.
However, even if Mendes is able to score a takedown or two throughout the fight, each round begins on the feet. McGregor‘s movement, versatility and cage IQ all seem to set him apart. It won’t be surprising if those are the very traits he uses to eventually end the fight and hold up his first UFC belt.
UFC 189 is finally here. The jam-packed fight card takes place in Las Vegas, and Conor McGregor is your headliner opposite Chad Mendes.
We will find out just how big of a draw McGregor truly is in his first headlining appearance. Unfortunately, it…
UFC 189 is finally here. The jam-packed fight card takes place in Las Vegas, and ConorMcGregor is your headliner opposite Chad Mendes.
We will find out just how big of a draw McGregor truly is in his first headlining appearance. Unfortunately, it will not come against Jose Aldo. Thankfully, it’s still an elite-level matchup.
The co-main event is not to be forgotten. Welterweight champion Robbie Lawler meets No. 2-ranked ranked contender Rory MacDonald. The two have met before in the Octagon, and it was Lawler who nabbed a split decision victory.
The pay-per-view main card is worth every penny the UFC is charging. It’s a stacked event with two titles on the line. But where should you play your funds in regards to the betting odds? That is what we will take a look at here. There are several interesting underdogs to look at.
This is the event many of us have been waiting for, and UFC 189 will be sure to deliver. Let’s hope it delivers in the wallet as well.
UFC star Conor McGregor is often labelled brash and arrogant, but as Jeremy Botter revealed in his Bleacher Report exclusive this week, he is a much more complex character than that. McGregor showed his softer side on Wednesday, when he told a sto…
UFC star Conor McGregor is often labelled brash and arrogant, but as Jeremy Botter revealed in his Bleacher Report exclusive this week, he is a much more complex character than that.
McGregor showed his softer side on Wednesday, when he told a story about a young fan from his native Ireland who recently died from cancer.
McGregor was talking to Michael Landsberg on TSN’s Off the Record and choked up when he was asked about 14-year-old Brendan McGlone.
You can watch the interview above, but the Irish Independent also transcribed McGregor’s comments.
What happened was I got a phone call from a person in the UFC and it was someone from the Make A Wish foundation who reached out to them and said ‘this kid from Ireland, he has cancer and this is probably going to be his last wish and his last wish is to talk on the phone to you.’
So I rang the kid and we talked for a long time. I talked with his friends in the hospital and his family and today or last night he passed away.
So it F—– my head up because this little kid is in Ireland and I’m telling the kid I’m going to take this belt and I’m going to you. And I would have done it. I would have flew him out to Vegas. They were thinking maybe if he got a little bit better we could fly him out to Vegas.
It’s just a really sad situation. it’s heartbreaking. I have lost family members to cancer and it is a horrible, horrible thing.
McGregor fights Chad Mendes at UFC 189 on Saturday night.
When the news first broke about Jose Aldo pulling out of his fifth title fight at Saturday’s UFC 189, Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White expressed frustration and disappointment on SportsCenter. But since adding Chad Mendes to the main bill with Conor McGregor, White told ESPN’s Ryen Russillo that UFC 189 is actually going to be better than it would have.
