Quote: Conor McGregor Is Terrified Of Chad Mendes
Irish featherweight sensation Conor McGregor will face the biggest test of his career to date at UFC 189, taking on the twice title challenger Chad Mendes in the PPV (pay-per-view) main event. Originally ‘The Notorious’ was set to face Jose Aldo for the undisputed featherweight title, but an injury to the Brazilian boss has meant that McGregor and ‘Money’ will compete for the junior belt. As always, the surging SBG (Straight Blast Gym) product has been on form in the media, taking every opportunity to slate his Team Alpha Male counterpart.
Some believe that Mendes will actually provide more of a test for the up-and-coming contender in Las Vegas, including UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub. ‘Big Brown’ even goes as far as saying McGregor has got the worst match up possible at UFC 189, and he is terrified. Check out what the TUF veteran said during The fighter and the kid podcast, as told by FOX Sports:
“I think he’s terrified, I think the one fight that he did not want — it happened. Every fight Conor has had has been a great matchup for him. This is the first fight where you’re like, ‘Oh….’ You’re talking about the No. 1 ranked guy in the world, and there’s a reason why Conor McGregor leapfrogged him for a title shot. Chad Mendes is a nightmare for him,”
One overwhelming point that has been much debated is the lack of American wrestlers put in front of McGregor during his five-fight streak in the UFC. Is Schaub accurate in saying that ‘The Notorious’ is shook of the former NCAA beast? He continues:
“The thing about Conor is he does get hit in fights. He does get hit. Who is the hardest hitter in the division? Chad Mendes. So, if he hits ya, it’s not going to be as much fun as getting hit by Dennis Siver and Diego Brandao. I would bet my entire life savings that his camp was like, ‘nope,’ and the UFC said, ‘this is what we’ve got. You’re taking this fight. Jose backed out. Conor, you have to take this fight.’
McGregor has previously stated that nothing will change with the new booking, and that his ‘formless’ style can defeat anyone in the division. The fact remains though, Mendes is gunning for a trilogy fight with Aldo, and he’ll probably try not to stand with McGregor in the early goings. We are yet to see how ‘The Notorious’ fights off his back, as Schaub explains:
“How is Conor going to react when he’s down two rounds to nothing? All the sh– he does, I love it, man. I’m a Conor fan. You know this. I love the guy, so this is not a knock on Conor. But, I don’t know how he’s going to react when he’s getting punched in the face, he’s on the bottom of half guard and things are not pretty. You’re not on your feet doing…cool kicks. The crowd is going ‘oh sh–. Everything we thought is happening right now. Chad is grinding him out, taking him down.’ Now you’re down three rounds. How are you going to respond?”
“I bet you see Chad end this fight via TKO by a fake shot with a huge overhand right,”
It would certainly throw a spanner in the works if Mendes is able to get a win over the Irish star, as the UFC has spent countless dollars on bringing him up to a title fight. There’s a thin line between self-promotion and being delusional, which side of that line do you think Conor McGregor falls on?
One thing is for sure, whoever wins the main event at UFC 189 is undoubtedly the best fighter at 145 pounds, bar the champion. For the loser, things are a lot more uncertain, and if it’s McGregor who is defeated, he’ll have a whole bunch of words to eat in the aftermath of July 11th.
