Tag: UFC 189

Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor: Can ‘Take 2’ Live Up to the Hype?

It didn’t go down when we wanted, but Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor is still coming. 
And our patience will be rewarded. 
After Aldo pulled out of his scheduled UFC 189 bout with McGregor just two weeks before their play date, the MMA universe…

It didn’t go down when we wanted, but Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor is still coming. 

And our patience will be rewarded. 

After Aldo pulled out of his scheduled UFC 189 bout with McGregor just two weeks before their play date, the MMA universe erupted.

The gods of the fighting realm are cruel and unfair. They robbed us of the biggest, most-hyped main event of the year.  

They took away our fun and excitement. 

Only the same gods secretly had our best interest at heart. We just didn’t know it at the time. While we were grumbling and pouting, the powers that be called up Chad “Money” Mendes to face McGregor in Aldo’s absence. 

It wasn’t what we wanted, but it’d do. 

And with our our full attention focused on the main event switcheroo, the gods had the time and privacy to do something extraordinary. They arranged what was arguably the best pay-per-view card in UFC history. 

How psyched were you for Dennis Bermudez vs. Jeremy Stephens before it actually went down? 

Did you know Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald part two would be a surefire Fight of the Year contender? 

The warm-up fights before the main event, crazy as it may seem, are the reason why Aldo’s injury ultimately didn’t matter. The good vibes rolled so fiercely by the time McGregor set foot inside the cage that nothing could ruin our night. 

In four fights, we had four spectacular finishes, and McGregor would soon add a fifth. 

With his second-round TKO over Mendes, the stage for an Aldo showdown was set—finally—and the production crew added a few spotlights and a laser show in the meantime. 

This bout carries even more glitz and glamour after UFC 189, largely because McGregor went out and performed. He faced his toughest test to date in Mendes, who pushed Aldo for five full rounds in the not-too-distant past, and he emerged the same as always: hand raised, opponent woozy. 

Many felt Aldo would steamroll the untested and “all talk” McGregor as they strolled into UFC 189, but you’d be delusional to carry those same beliefs now. Mendes, even on two weeks’ notice, is a serious challenge for any featherweight. 

McGregor smiled as he absorbed crushing blow after crushing blow, punches that can—and have—obliterated lesser men. 

He fantastically popped back up after an early takedown, taunting Mendes with a “see, that wasn’t too bad” attitude that was equal parts insanity and brilliance. 

And it is this magnificence that makes Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor Redux the hottest feature film on the UFC’s radar right now. It was good before, but now it will be even better, even crazier, even more outrageous. 

If you couldn’t stand McGregor before, imagine how he’ll act with a belt of his own. You just know he’ll declare his belt the true championship, belittling everything Aldo has done and will do in the process. 

Aldo, meanwhile, will respond to allegations that his injury was overblown, that he could have made it to the cage Saturday in Las Vegas to face the Irishman. 

Something tells me the longtime champ isn’t going to react too pleasantly the next time he and McGregor are face to face. 

So the feud intensifies. 

Because now McGregor owns a legitimate, top-level scalp, and he can place it on his mantle right next to his UFC championship strap. 

What was once unknown and questioned is now cemented in fact. The argument that Aldo is clearly miles ahead of McGregor in the fight game just doesn’t hold up after Saturday evening. 

Before, the fight was super fun and anticipated because of the talk. 

Now, it’s the action that has everyone frothing at the mouth.

McGregor is for real, and there’s no doubt he will give Aldo a fight. He might even beat him. If he doesn’t, it will only further catapult Aldo into the land of the legendary, intensifying “greatest of all time” discussions in the process. 

Take 2 of your previously scheduled Aldo vs. McGregor programming is coming as early as Jan. 2, according to UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta (h/t ESPN’s Brett Okamoto), so settle in and get comfy. 

UFC 189 was only an appetizer. 

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NSFW: Listen to What Conor McGregor Says to Chad Mendes After Knocking Him out

Conor McGregor is many things. 
“Reserved” is not one of them. 
After finishing Chad Mendes at UFC 189 Saturday in Las Vegas, McGregor shared a moment with his foe inside the cage, opening up a bit and baring his true feelings. 
For all …

Conor McGregor is many things. 

“Reserved” is not one of them. 

After finishing Chad Mendes at UFC 189 Saturday in Las Vegas, McGregor shared a moment with his foe inside the cage, opening up a bit and baring his true feelings. 

For all the trash-talking leading up to this fight, it’s clear McGregor has respect for one man. It’s also clear his feud with another man, one UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, is genuine. 

Grab a set of headphones and listen carefully in the video above from YouTube user TvMaLsv British. Pay close attention from eight seconds to 16 seconds in the video. 

Did you catch it? 

If not, don’t worry. The detectives at Reddit.com’s MMA subreddit, /r/MMA, already transcribed this one. Here’s what McGregor says: 

“You’re a legend for taking this fight….He’s a juice-head p—y.” 

The respect for Mendes is cool to hear. McGregor talks so much that we sometimes forget there’s a good dude underneath the surface, and his budding camaraderie with Mendes revealed a different side of the trash-talking Irishman. 

But just a few seconds after praising Mendes for stepping up to the plate, McGregor talked about some “juice-head p—y.”

Who, oh who, could that be? 

It’s obvious McGregor is referring to Aldo, the 145-pound champion who pulled out of his scheduled showdown at UFC 189 just two weeks before the fight with a rib injury. UFC President Dana White insists Aldo’s rib was not broken, and McGregor undoubtedly buys into that narrative as well. 

That explains the “p—y” part.

A little drug test fiasco leading up to July 11, then, explains the “juice-head” part. 

While Aldo’s tests eventually came back clean, it’s clear McGregor has lost all respect (if he ever had any) for the featherweight king. 

This just makes their eventual showdown—which may take place Jan. 2 in Las Vegas, per White at the UFC 189 press conference (h/t ESPN’s Brett Okamoto)—all the more intriguing. 

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report as the McGregor vs. Aldo champion vs. champion matchup continues to develop. 

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UFC 189: This Disturbing Post-Fight Scene Reminds Us What FIghters Endure

UFC 189 was an exhibition of mixed martial arts at its absolute summit. It was an event that elevated the sport. But amongst the undeniable beauty of the violence was a sobering reminder of the sport’s cost, as we watched Rory MacDonald struggle …

UFC 189 was an exhibition of mixed martial arts at its absolute summit. It was an event that elevated the sport. But amongst the undeniable beauty of the violence was a sobering reminder of the sport’s cost, as we watched Rory MacDonald struggle to remain conscious after enduring a harrowing beating at the hands of Robbie Lawler.

Most of us were too busy picking our jaws up off the floor to notice MacDonald’s plight in real time. Thereafter, our attention was fixed on the Lawler, whose triumphant demeanour and steady supply of adrenaline masked the physical toll the contest had taken on him.

After a tentative first round from both men, few would have anticipated the subsequent carnage. The action inside the cage built to its barbarous fifth round crescendo, when the Canadian crumpled to the canvas, his nose shattered and body broken, after absorbing one final left hand from the champion.

(NSFW: Video contains graphic images.)

Credit MMAJunkie.com for first capturing this brutal imagry in GIF form. 

It’s easy to take for granted the job of a fighter. Watching so many fights has the undesired effect of desensitizing us to a sport that should demand hypersensitivity.

It pushes our expectations for these athletes far beyond what is reasonable, to the point that UFC president Dana White can claim on television that a 25-fight veteran like Steve Carl doesn’t have what it takes to be a fighter, or a fan sitting at a bar can berate a fighter for quitting on his stool.

We should celebrate the success of UFC 189, but we should also remember to never take these fighters for granted.

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UFC 189: A Historic Night Tarnished by Vocal Conspiracists

UFC 189 wasn’t just a triumph for mixed martial arts. It was a triumph for combat sports as a whole. Everything delivered: the promotion, the presentation, the atmosphere and, most important of all, the quality of the fights. By the time Conor Mc…

UFC 189 wasn’t just a triumph for mixed martial arts. It was a triumph for combat sports as a whole. Everything delivered: the promotion, the presentation, the atmosphere and, most important of all, the quality of the fights. By the time Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes had closed the show, there was little doubt we had witnessed something special.

However, the MMA fanbase is unlike those of other sports. Our expectations tend to be a little steeper. Even when our sport surpasses all reasonable expectations, we are inclined to dig for the cloud beneath the silver lining—real or imagined. And UFC 189 was no exception to this custom.

The imaginary cloud on this occasion was Herb Dean’s stoppage in the main event, which some viewers judged to be premature (Warning: NSFW language):

Toward the end of the second round, McGregor connected with a straight left hand. Mendes, hurt and exhausted, dropped to his knees and turtled up against the cage. The Irishman followed up with four more right hands, prompting Dean to step in with three seconds remaining in the round.

Should the referee have taken the clock into consideration? We asked precisely that question 25 years ago, when Julio Cesar Chavez stopped Meldrick Taylor with two seconds remaining in the fight. Should Dean have given Mendes more of a chance irrespective of the clock?

Whatever side you come down on is largely irrelevant. I’m inclined to think the stoppage was a tad early, but a vocal minority didn’t stop at human error. They heard hoof beats and assumed unicorns. If you purchased stock in tin foil recently, you can probably retire after UFC 189. The hats were out in force, with all sorts of crackpot theories being posited.

Was the referee in Zuffa’s pocket? Did Mendes take a dive? After all, he didn’t protest the stoppage. Was he given the fight because Frankie Edgar couldn’t be bought off?

Exactly how mired in a pro wrestling mindset must one be in order to think that the above conclusions are not merely plausible but the most likely explanation for what occurred? Alex Jones would distance himself from these theories.

It seems some perspective is in order.

UFC 189 was arguably the most important card in the promotion’s history. The organisation invested an obscene amount of money in promoting the event, meaning the product was likely to attract more eyeballs than all but a handful of its previous pay-per-views. Having sought legitimacy for almost 15 years, the UFC chose this occasion to put the company and the sport at risk by bribing fighters/officials.

If this seems plausible, it might be time to invest in a critical thinking course.

It would be novel if we could just celebrate MMA on those rare occasions it reminds us why we love it. There is no shortage of storylines, narratives and talking points for us to pore over in the coming weeks. Must we try and undermine the sport’s legitimacy even as it is being elevated?

For all the complaints directed at the UFC—often justifiably so—did the promotion do anything to delegitimize the sport Saturday night? No, but a minority of the sport’s malcontents have earned that particular distinction.

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Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey ‘At the Top of the Game’ Following UFC 189

Saturday night was huge for “The Notorious” Conor McGregor. The Irish fighter captured UFC gold—albeit interim UFC gold—by defeating Chad Mendes at UFC 189, infuriating his naysayers and delighting the thousands of Irish fans who migrated t…

Saturday night was huge for “The Notorious” Conor McGregor. The Irish fighter captured UFC gold—albeit interim UFC gold—by defeating Chad Mendes at UFC 189, infuriating his naysayers and delighting the thousands of Irish fans who migrated to Las Vegas for the bout.

Still in a haze following the win, McGregor spoke to the assembled media at the UFC 189 post-fight press conference (warning: NSFW language) and discussed his long list of accomplishments.

(Warning: NSFW Language)

“Right now I am running the game,” he said (h/t MMAFighting.com’s Shaun Al-Shatti for the transcription).

I have every record in the book. The gate, the pay-per-view, all the viewing figures on FOX, UFC Fight Pass, highest attended weigh-ins. I have every record right now, and at the end of the day I’m still only 26 years of age.

McGregor‘s boasts aren’t 100-percent accurate, of course (it is incredibly unlikely that UFC 189 will break the UFC 100 pay-per-view buyrate record of 1.6 million), but he isn’t too far off, either.

Mendes vs. McGregor drew a colossal $7.2 million gate, according to UFC President Dana White. That broke the UFC’s previous United States gate record of $6.9 million, held by UFC 148 (which was headlined by Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen 2), via MMAPayout.com.

In January, McGregor‘s bout opposite Dennis Siver blew away the UFC’s Fox Sports 1 ratings record, averaging 2.75 million viewers.

The previous ratings record was 1.78 million, held by UFC Fight Night: Chael Sonnen vs. Shogun Rua—which was a tad below the Fox-era cable TV record of UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Bisping, which averaged 1.86 million.

The stats go on and on for McGregor, but he acknowledged he has some solid competition for the UFC’s top star spot.

Ronda [Rousey] is an absolute machine … She’s an animal, and I relate to Ronda a lot, because I know the work she puts in media-wise and training-wise…I feel it’s me and Ronda at the top of the game, and I’m honored.

McGregor is now lined up for a title unification bout opposite long-reigning featherweight champion Jose Aldo. Depending on how the numbers shake out for UFC 189, that could be the biggest UFC fight since Lesnar vs. Mir 2.

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Mendes vs. McGregor: Results, Highlights and Reaction from UFC 189

Conor McGregor is the king of the UFC’s featherweight division, at least temporarily after he won the interim title from Chad Mendes in the main event of Saturday night’s UFC 189 fight card in Las Vegas.
Referee Herb Dean stopped the fight after McGreg…

Conor McGregor is the king of the UFC’s featherweight division, at least temporarily after he won the interim title from Chad Mendes in the main event of Saturday night’s UFC 189 fight card in Las Vegas.

Referee Herb Dean stopped the fight after McGregor landed a brutal left hook on Mendes with just seconds to go in the second round and moments after the Irishman escaped a submission attempt. Mendes tried to defend himself after going down, but the damage was done from the blow, as Bleacher Report MMA showed:

Mendes and McGregor started things off with fireworks, as each landed significant strikes in the opening round, but the fight largely began in ideal fashion for McGregor. Able to stand and fight with his throws and kicks, the 26-year-old utilized his reach advantage to beat up Mendes‘ body early.

The fight quickly started going Mendes‘ way in the second, however. He landed a takedown early in Round 2 and kept McGregor pinned to the canvas for nearly the entirety of the five-minute round as he tried desperately to break free.

Once he did, Mendes looked much worse for wear, noticeably wobbling and appearing unable to defend himself. McGregor smelled blood, and he went in for the kill, tying Mendes‘ knockout record in the process, as ESPN Stats & Info noted:

There were questions entering the fight as to how McGregor would react to fighting a wrestler with great knockout power, and those questions went unanswered for much of the fight. McGregor was eating elbows on his back and looked to be in trouble before getting back to his feet and noticing Mendes‘ condition.

Of course, that condition had a lot to do with the damage McGregor inflicted on his opponent with body shots, as MMATorch.com noted:

It also didn’t help that UFC officials gave Mendes short notice on the fight after title holder Jose Aldo withdrew from the bout with a rib injury just two weeks before the card. A short camp put Mendes at a disadvantage, as Grantland’s Bill Barnwell observed:

It also goes without saying that a lot of that cardio disadvantage was natural in a sense. A much larger fighter in muscle mass and with a much shorter reach, Mendes got outworked by McGregor‘s conditioning awfully quick.

Although the action from an undeniably amazing fight card was enough to bask in for some time, no hesitation was put on looking forward to an inevitable showdown. Should Aldo return to health from his injury in apt time, he’ll get a crack at McGregor to snatch that interim belt away from him.

One thing already remains certain—the company is going to promote the heck out of it, as UFC President Dana White told MMAFighting.com:

McGregor could still possibly fight Frankie Edgar next if Aldo isn’t ready, who even hopped up over the cage and congratulated McGregor after the fight, as Fox Sports UFC reported. The second-ranked featherweight fighter is the only person not named Mendes or Aldo currently above McGregor in the UFC rankings. 

But for now, and until his 14-fight winning streak is halted, we’re all living in a McGregor-centered UFC world, as MMA journalist Mike Chiappetta noted:

There are still worthy opponents in the weight class that McGregor has yet to face, and in fact, that may be putting it lightly when Aldo is the chief opponent in the way. But Saturday was the toughest test yet for McGregor, and despite some trouble, he passed with flying colors.

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