Does anyone really give a damn who fights Conor McGregor next week for the featherweight title? This is the Conor MacGregor show and if their lucky someone else will be invited to guest star at the other end of the Octagon. My Colleague Carl Johnson wrote last month that the true winner in the Aldo-McGregor fight would be the fans, and that’s still very true but in that fight Aldo was just the fluffer, the stooge, the guy that never quite looked like he knew what was going on?
Chad Mendes could be the best thing to happen to UFC 189
I’m a massive fight fan and love to see the best in the world fight. According to many sources Dana White included Aldo is the pound for pound greatest. Now I take the pound for pound list about as seriously as the UFC Reebok Fashion show earlier this week (did it remind anyone else of a awkward school play?) but they all have a point here. Aldo has lost once in his career, has all but cleared out the division and as many people were tuning in to see McGregor bite off more than he can chew as they were to see him win; which is the point! It’s seriously not about the champion; it’s all about the Challenger. He is the biggest star in the UFC today eclipsing even Rousey right now, but with the feather weight division teeming with talent, talent he hasn’t come close to fighting by jumping the title fight queue, fans are as desperate to see how he will perform, as they are entertained by his persona
Many now are already calling Chad Mendes the new champ, stating he has more tools in the box to beat McGregor and let’s face it we have not seen McGregor fight a grappler in the UFC, not with the ability of Mendes! It’s interesting that Mendes gets this shot over Frankie Edgar though? After all both were game for this fight, Frankie is on a tear, and is ranked number one, so why Mendes, a fighter who has tried and failed twice to capture the title? Do they think Mendes has less of a chance than Edgar and so keeping the McGregor train moving or is there something else? I believe the only reason Mendes gets this fight is because of the hatred he and McGregor share for one another. The UFC has spent record amounts of money promoting this fight that for casual fans to tune in to see a nice guy like Edgar dethrone the Irishman would completely destroy the mystique surrounding McGregor. They need the bad blood and fortunately whether it be Mendes or Ricardo Lamas McGregor’s mouth has primed the whole division so ready made pay-per-views can just be picked straight off the shelf, which is way more appealing to the top brass than a Featherweight champion who has pulled out of no less than five title fights! Maybe that’s why the winner of Mendes/McGregor will crown a new interim champion. It’s like Dana White is pushing Aldo over in the mud and taking his belt home because Aldo doesn’t want to play!
A part of me is disappointed, but I’m still just as excited to see how McGregor fairs against Mendes as I was for Aldo, and if McGregor does win this then we have a title unification fight with Aldo that will eclipse the first fight 10 fold. The initial emotion to this news might be disappointment, but if the stars align next week, this could be the best thing to happen to the UFC since Bonner v Griffin!
