"UFC 189: McGregor Vs. Mendes" Preview: Two Huge Championship Fights
UFC 189 was supposed to be one of the biggest UFC events of all time. Featuring the loudmouth runaway success of Conor McGregor taking on one of the greatest fighters ever in Jose Aldo. The UFC filmed an amazing commercial that cost them $1 million dollars, they put on a worldwide media tour, and the show look poised to break 1,000,000 buys.
Then, Jose Aldo got hurt.
The UFC had a backup plan, that of Chad Mendes, who had an outstanding fight with Aldo last October in a losing effort. McGregor wasn't happy about losing his original opponent in Aldo, and quite frequently predicted such would happen. Injury or not, no fighter has pulled out of more UFC fights in the past five years that that of Aldo.
Either way, the card trudges on, and Mendes will take on McGregor for the Interim UFC Featherweight Championship. The show will still be huge, but not the gargantuan show it looked to be. The fight itself is perhaps more interesting stylistically, as McGregor has yet to be tested by a wrestler, and Chad Mendes has had a habit of having unbelievably exciting fights of late.
Lost in all of the Conor McGregor hype is a UFC Welterweight Title fight between champion Robbie Lawler taking on Rory MacDonald. Long considered the next big start at Welterweight, MacDonald dropped the first fight against Lawler nearly two years ago after an underwhelming performance, and drew the ire of UFC President Dana White. A win here helps the well-rounded prodigy fulfill the lofty expectations placed on him as a training partner of former Welterweight King Georges St-Pierre.
Lawler, on the other hand, has had an unbelievable career resurgence. Lawler debuted in the UFC in 2002 at only 20 years old, where he lasted a couple of years before parting ways with the company. After suffering only one loss in ten bouts, Lawler's career hit a steep downhill slope, going 3-5 in Strikeforce. Despite this, UFC brought him over after Strikeforce folded, and Lawler went 6-1 on his way to a split decision victory to capture the UFC Welterweight Championship. For him, retaining the championship means continuing his new lease on life, and continuing his unlikely ascension to the top of the division.
The show also features UFC mainstays Dennis Bermudez, Jeremy Stephens, Mike Swick and Matt Brown, as well at top prospects Thomas Almeida, Gunnar Nelson and Brandon Thatch, rounding out a fantastic card. Wrestling Inc will have full, live coverage of the pay-per-view starting with quick results for the preliminary fights tonight at 7 pm eastern.