Conor McGregor SHOCKS UFC FANS – Breaking MMA News
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By Barnaby “Mattress Man” Kellaway
UFC fans around the world collectively sighed when Dana White announced that Aldo had officially been replaced by Mendes for the UFC 189 main event. With the announcement came the realization that one of the most anticipated fights of all time was no more. However, despite all the glumness there is good reason to be equally as excited for the fight we have instead.
In his UFC career thus far McGregor has not faced an elite wrestler – almost every minute he has spent inside the octagon has been on his feet. It is for this reason that throughout his meteoric rise to the top, experts and fellow fighters, although unanimous in their belief that he is a great talent, have continually asked the question: what will McGregor do when he faces a wrestler?
Luke Rockhold, The number one contender in the middleweight division said, “I think that’s a terrible match-up for McGregor” when talking about the prospect of him fighting a wrestler. These sentiments were echoed by former heavyweight champion Frank Mir: “The only question mark would be if he goes to the ground”.
That question mark will soon be erased.
Chad Mendes’ wrestling accolades are irrefutable: he is a two time NCAA All-American, an NCAA Championship runner up and former Pac-10 wrestler of the year. His wrestling background is the foundation of his career in MMA.
Though it must be noted that “Money” has made drastic improvements in his striking in recent years: five of his last six victories have come via knockout. Despite this, on July 11th Mendes will undoubtedly revert to his wrestling roots.
Upon hearing the good news here is what the Team Alpha Male product had to say: “We all know Aldo’s a super athlete, very dangerous stand-up, but those are the type of guys that Conor does the best with. We have not seen him with many fighters that have the wrestling, that have the explosiveness to get inside and close the distance on him. The fights that I’ve seen him lose, those guys were able to get him down on the ground.”
After all the promotion and all the hype surrounding the Aldo/McGregor fight it is perfectly understandable that fans are upset with recent news. But what we have instead is equally intriguing.
How will Conor McGregor perform against a wrestler? We are about to find out.
Jose Aldo was forced out of the biggest fight of his career after sustaining an injured rib in training. His training partner, Alcides Nunes, caught Aldo with a spinning back kick whilst trying to mimic the unorthodox style of McGregor. Chad Mendes will step in to face the Irishman for the interim featherweight championship on July 11th at UFC 189 in Las Vegas.
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