Despite people lining up to knock Aldo “frequently” missing title fights, the truth is that only the light heavyweight and lightweight titles have been defended more often than the featherweight strap since Aldo first claimed it from Brown in November 2009.
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The UFC has released episode No. 4 of UFC 189: Embedded. The co-main event will feature UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler looking to defend his title against challenger Rory MacDonald in a rematch from 2013 where Lawler was the victor.
Mendes stepped in to take the place of Jose Aldo in the main event after the Brazilian champion suffered an injury that forced him to withdraw from the fight card.
It’s a dramatic change for what was supposed to be the UFC’s biggest, most publicized fight off all time.
Conor McGregor always has something to say. Mendes noted that McGregor’s comment made it personal. If you’re in the business of selling cold beer or Factor 50 suncream on the Las Vegas strip, as Conor McGregor would say – it’s big business and business is booming. The UFC 189 Countdown show goes behind the scenes as all of the fighters prep for their upcoming bouts.
Forget Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather-McGregor would be the fight of the century.
McGregor has come a long way in a very short period of time, but whether he becomes a transformative figure in the manner of Royce Gracie, Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey, among a precious few others, still isn’t quite clear.
Yair Rodriguez (5-1, 2-0 UFC) showed tremendous growth between his first and second fight in the UFC.
Some may look at a late notice championship fight as a disaster waiting to happen for the one who takes that opportunity.
That’s what makes his bout with Mendes so critical on Saturday.
Mendes is 17-0 against everyone else and 0-2 against Aldo, including his recent first-round blistering of Lamas back in April.
Mendes has proven that aside from Aldo he can beat anyone.
While dropping 27 pounds within a matter of days may seem like an impossibly tall order, fear not, McGregor fans!
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McGregor – and the UFC – better hope that McGregor’s best-laid plans aren’t ruined by a diminutive man named Mendes come Saturday. This is the big question mark hanging over McGregor, because we do not know how he will handle an elite wrestler like Mendes. Both men have distinct advantages, though with the absence of meaningful grappling data for McGregor and the abundance of evidence for Mendes’ elite wrestling, it appears the oddsmakers either know something we do not or are giving “Notorious” the benefit of the doubt.
