And new Champion of the World Connor McGregor!!!

[Buffalo Barbarian]

This stinks I was really looking forward to the Irishmen smashing the Brazilian. O'well I guess McGregor will have smash Mendes instead.

 

 

“It’s his [Aldo’s] decision,” White said. “I don’t feel great about it. We’ve spent a lot of money promoting this fight. A lot of people are excited about the fight, so it’s definitely disappointing.”

McGregor, who joined White on SportsCenter, believes that no interim label should be attached to the title at stake when he and Mendes collide.

“If a man is scared for his life, we cannot force him to step inside and face me. I feel he is afraid. The doctors have cleared him to fight -- it’s a bruise. He has still pulled out,” McGregor said. “Rightfully so, the belt should be taken from him and we should contest for the interim belt. Or, in my opinion, the real belt.”

 

http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Jose-Aldo-Withdraws-from-UFC-189-Conor-McGregor-Meets-Chad-Mendes-for-Interim-Title-88489

Edited July 12, 2015 by Buffalo Barbarian

[LB3]

This match up is much worse for McGregor. He hasn't had to face any good wrestlers in the UFC and Mendes is one of the best in the featherweight division. If McGregor doesn't catch Mendes early, I don't see this fight going well for him.

[Alaska Darin]

This match up is much worse for McGregor. He hasn't had to face any good wrestlers in the UFC and Mendes is one of the best in the featherweight division. If McGregor doesn't catch Mendes early, I don't see this fight going well for him.

Agreed. We're going to find out very early in this fight how it's going to go.

[LB3]

Aldo released his x-rays which appear to show that he did in fact have a broken rib. He had something to say to McGregor as well...

 

...If he beats Chad Mendes, the only thing he will have is a toy belt to show his drunk friends in his countrys bars, because thats what an interim belt represents to me: a toy. I am the champion.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/news/jose-aldo-critical-of-ufc-189-interim-title-fight--mocks-conor-mcgregor-again-021411532-mma.html

[John from Riverside]

I dont know man....I dont really consider any of these MMA guys "wimps" or "scared"

 

They are pretty much all beasts.....lots of respect for them.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

This match up is much worse for McGregor. He hasn't had to face any good wrestlers in the UFC and Mendes is one of the best in the featherweight division. If McGregor doesn't catch Mendes early, I don't see this fight going well for him.

 

McGrogor is an animal. We see him strike a lot but his ground game is solid, I honestly feel Connor is going roll through Mendes just like everybody else.

[LB3]

 

McGrogor is an animal. We see him strike a lot but his ground game is solid, I honestly feel Connor is going roll through Mendes just like everybody else.

You can't really call his ground game solid because it hasn't really ever been tested. His only two losses were 1st round submissions. He could roll through Mendes of he catches him, but Mendes has just as much power in his hands and is quicker. Conor hasn't fought a top 5 fighter yet. The dropoff from Aldo, Mendes and Edgar to the next tier of fighters is incredibly large so all of them roll through the lesser competition. Hell, Mendes just ran through Lamas who is ranked 5th and just fought for the belt last year. Edited July 2, 2015 by LBSeeBallLBGetBall

[Buffalo Barbarian]

You can't really call his ground game solid because it hasn't really ever been tested. His only two losses were 1st round submissions. He could roll through Mendes of he catches him, but Mendes has just as much power in his hands and is quicker. Conor hasn't fought a top 5 fighter yet. The dropoff from Aldo, Mendes and Edgar to the next tier of fighters is incredibly large so all of them roll through the lesser competition. Hell, Mendes just ran through Lamas who is ranked 5th and just fought for the belt last year.

 

trust me Connor rolls through him

[LB3]

 

trust me Connor rolls through him

We'll see. My money is on Mendes. I'm also taking MacDonald over Lawler which isn't being talked about because of Conor's gift on the mic. It should also be a great fight.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

We'll see. My money is on Mendes. I'm also taking MacDonald over Lawler which isn't being talked about because of Conor's gift on the mic. It should also be a great fight.

 

That is a good fight and a good card overall, although I don't know why that are having a fightnight the next day on Sunday.

 

They already fought with a split decision going to Lawler. I remember watching that fight and I thought Lawler clearly won the fight so I'm going with him again. McDonald is a star on the rise but not quite to the level of his fellow countryman GSP, who I wish would come back but I don't think he is mentally strong enough anymore. George, for some strange reason, was losing his confidence the more he kept winning, I guess the win streak was getting to him.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

Watched the fights at Buffalo Wild Wings in Henrietta (Rochester) last night. Ranch chicken sandwich was great; very tender good flavor, the parmesan garlic sauce had too much flavor, which I thought I would never say, basically too salty after taste.

 

Really thought Rory was going to win the title from Lawler but when he dropped with a broken face it was all over.

 

McGregor did as I expected although he needed to work on his escapes from the ground, but knowing him he was enjoying elbowing Mendes in the head even though he was on the bottom. I've never seen a fighter talk so much trash during a fight, which normally turns me off but being Irish I'm biased. He was very gracious after the fight so he didn't come off as a total Dbag.

 

This kid is going to rule for a long time, Aldo is going to be an after thought after he loses to McGregor.

[Howard]

How can he be the champion when he hasn't even played in a real game yet for the Oilers? Sure he was selected first overall, but let's wait for the season to start in October.

[LB3]

Watched the fights at Buffalo Wild Wings in Henrietta (Rochester) last night. Ranch chicken sandwich was great; very tender good flavor, the parmesan garlic sauce had too much flavor, which I thought I would never say, basically too salty after taste.

 

Really thought Rory was going to win the title from Lawler but when he dropped with a broken face it was all over.

 

McGregor did as I expected although he needed to work on his escapes from the ground, but knowing him he was enjoying elbowing Mendes in the head even though he was on the bottom. I've never seen a fighter talk so much trash during a fight, which normally turns me off but being Irish I'm biased. He was very gracious after the fight so he didn't come off as a total Dbag.

 

This kid is going to rule for a long time, Aldo is going to be an after thought after he loses to McGregor.

McGregor's takedown defense was crap. He bottom game wasn't that good either. The elbows he landed from bottom that caused the most damage were illegal 12-6 elbows. He was warned for it, but the damage was done. The biggest reason McGregor won was because Mendes gassed badly. If Mendes had more than two weeks to get his cardio together, he would have destroyed McGregor IMO. He went 5 rounds against Aldo with no endurance problems. McGregor vs Edgar/Aldo should be fun.

[Alaska Darin]

McGregor's takedown defense was crap. He bottom game wasn't that good either. The elbows he landed from bottom that caused the most damage were illegal 12-6 elbows. He was warned for it, but the damage was done. The biggest reason McGregor won was because Mendes gassed badly. If Mendes had more than two weeks to get his cardio together, he would have destroyed McGregor IMO. He went 5 rounds against Aldo with no endurance problems. McGregor vs Edgar/Aldo should be fun.

I agree with pretty much everything you said but with a couple of minor caveats:

 

1. Mendes was also hurt. The early body shots took something out of him. I refuse to believe that a UFC fighter who is in that kind of shape is showing signs of being gassed midway through the first round.

2. It's pretty obvious CM didn't prepare much to be on his back because he was preparing for Aldo and that fight would have been standing pretty much guaranteed. If he were to fight Mendes again his camp would be filled with wrestlers who would go after him one after another. I doubt he did much takedown defense in preparation for Aldo.

[Maury Ballstein]

Buffalo Wild Wings garlic Parmesan is crap.

[LB3]

I agree with pretty much everything you said but with a couple of minor caveats:

 

1. Mendes was also hurt. The early body shots took something out of him. I refuse to believe that a UFC fighter who is in that kind of shape is showing signs of being gassed midway through the first round.

2. It's pretty obvious CM didn't prepare much to be on his back because he was preparing for Aldo and that fight would have been standing pretty much guaranteed. If he were to fight Mendes again his camp would be filled with wrestlers who would go after him one after another. I doubt he did much takedown defense in preparation for Aldo.

You make fair points.

 

1. I watched the fight again earlier and I didn't see any strike that looked like it could have affected his cardio that badly. It did look like he had an adrenaline dump (McGregor too to an extent) and that didn't help. Even being in shape like Mendes was, being ready for a 5 round fight like this on two weeks notice will affect his cardio. I think many things factored into his gassing.

 

2. You're right. I'm sure he didn't spend a ton of time on takedown defense preparing for Aldo. McGregor could have prepared better for a wrestler with more time, but preparing for a wrestler like Mendes would take years of training. McGregor seems like the type of athlete who can adapt, it'll just take time. This fight could end up being a great lesson for Conor. He'll be more likely to get his wrestling on point, because he sees what can happen against an elite wrestler, even a gassed one.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

How can he be the champion when he hasn't even played in a real game yet for the Oilers? Sure he was selected first overall, but let's wait for the season to start in October.

Wrong sport bro

McGregor's takedown defense was crap. He bottom game wasn't that good either. The elbows he landed from bottom that caused the most damage were illegal 12-6 elbows. He was warned for it, but the damage was done. The biggest reason McGregor won was because Mendes gassed badly. If Mendes had more than two weeks to get his cardio together, he would have destroyed McGregor IMO. He went 5 rounds against Aldo with no endurance problems. McGregor vs Edgar/Aldo should be fun.

I see your just a hater, get used to seeing McGregor driving you insane for yrs to come.

[Alaska Darin]

You make fair points.

 

1. I watched the fight again earlier and I didn't see any strike that looked like it could have affected his cardio that badly. It did look like he had an adrenaline dump (McGregor too to an extent) and that didn't help. Even being in shape like Mendes was, being ready for a 5 round fight like this on two weeks notice will affect his cardio. I think many things factored into his gassing.

 

2. You're right. I'm sure he didn't spend a ton of time on takedown defense preparing for Aldo. McGregor could have prepared better for a wrestler with more time, but preparing for a wrestler like Mendes would take years of training. McGregor seems like the type of athlete who can adapt, it'll just take time. This fight could end up being a great lesson for Conor. He'll be more likely to get his wrestling on point, because he sees what can happen against an elite wrestler, even a gassed one.

I don't think there's any question he needs to work on his ground game to stay at the top of the UFC. Someone like Sherk in his prime would take him down and hump him for 5 rounds and probably make it look easy.

 

I really want to see him fight Edgar.

[LB3]

I see your just a hater, get used to seeing McGregor driving you insane for yrs to come.

Hater? Nah. I think he's great for the UFC. I just strongly believe Mendes would win if they both came in with equal camps training for each other. McGregor has proven he deserves to be grouped with the other 3 at the top of the division. They are all basically in a different league from everyone else. Should be a fun couple years for that division.

[LB3]

I don't think there's any question he needs to work on his ground game to stay at the top of the UFC. Someone like Sherk in his prime would take him down and hump him for 5 rounds and probably make it look easy.

 

I really want to see him fight Edgar.

I'd really like to see him fight Edgar as well. McGregor will either have to beat Aldo or Aldo will have to be out long enough for McGregor to have to defend his interim belt though. Frankie is the #1 contender (he was before Mendes fought McGregor) and is in line for a title shot.