UFC 189 - 4 reasons why Mendes vs McGregor is a fight worth looking forward to
Early this morning came the news MMA fans worldwide had been dreading. Jose Aldo is officially out of the UFC 189 main event. Months and months of build-up, unprecedented hype and all that trash talking all seems to have gone to waste. Since his injury was first reported a week ago, there had been much speculation surrounding the future of the title fight. Many believe that Aldo was being pressured into fighting by the UFC, who did not want to see their biggest fight in years be pushed back. Initially, Aldo said he would fight, injury or no injury but this morning, he officially pulled himself from the title bout.The UFC already had a Plan B in place. Chad Mendes will step in and face McGregor for an interim title with the winner eventually facing Jose Aldo for the undisputed featherweight championship. Yes, Chad Mendes is not Jose Aldo, and while Dana White and those at the UFC may be disappointed, in the long run, Mendes-McGregor does the company a whole lot of good. We list out 4 reasons why:
#1 Conor\'s Kryptonite
While Conor McGregor may have some of the most passionate fans in MMA right now, his doubters are just as passionate. Of the many things his critics accuse him of, talking his way to the top and never having fought a wrestler are at the top of the list. McGregor has faced only 1 top 5 fighter in the UFC, Dustin Poirier who is no longer in the featherweight division.
He didn’t face Mendes and he didn’t face Edgar. It seemed like the UFC had given McGregor a free shot at Aldo when he didn’t really earn it. Whether that’s true or not, Conor will definitely have to earn his shot at Jose Aldo now. The accusation that he talked his way to the top will no longer stick if he emerges with the interim title on July 11th. A fight with Mendes will also answer perhaps the strongest question in the case against Conor; is wrestling his Kryptonite.
Of all the fighters he has faced, Conor has never squared off against a specialist wrestler. Chad Mendes is one of the best wrestlers in MMA currently. Mendes himself believes that Conor will not match up well against his wrestling style. For all his elite level stand up, Conor has never been tested on the ground and never been matched up against a high quality wrestler. The last time Conor was in a scrap on the mat, he pulled his ACL.
The ground seems to be a place Conor does not want to venture into and his take-down defence will undoubtedly be tested when he faces Mendes. If Conor beats Mendes, he will be even hotter than before and with all the doubts surrounding him going up in smoke. His eventual fight with Jose Aldo will be even bigger and will make everyone a lot more money.
If Mendes, a man that Jose Aldo has beaten twice, beats Conor however, it will prove the doubters right. A Mendes win sets up another clash with Jose Aldo and after the excitement of the first two fights, nobody will complain. More importantly perhaps, if Mendes beats Conor it will propel Jose Aldo into the realms of the greatest of all time. For someone who he has beaten twice to go out there and beat his greatest rival will set Jose Aldo above any active MMA fighter today.