Chad Mendes was ranked because the second-best featherweight on the planet behind Jose Aldo for a few years within the 2010s and gave the Brazilian one the toughest assessments of his UFC reign in an epic battle in 2014. Trying again, he names Aldo because the hardest man he’s ever confronted.
“Aldo’s a beast,” Mendes instructed MMA Combating. “I nonetheless inform all people to this present day, that was my hardest battle. Everybody all the time thinks it’s Conor [McGregor], but it surely wasn’t. Aldo was subsequent degree. I feel that took about 10 years off my life, I all the time say. That night time I received again to the lodge, I used to be pissing blood. I’d by no means had that occur on any of my fights. I used to be fairly beat up after that battle.”
Mendes examined himself in opposition to three different former or future UFC champions throughout his last run in MMA — Conor McGregor, Alexander Volkanovski, and Frankie Edgar, plus Eddie Alvarez in bare-knuckle boxing — however says there’s nonetheless nobody like Aldo.
Mendes was undefeated in MMA when he first challenged Aldo for UFC gold, venturing into enemy territory as an undefeated 11-0 prospect however in the end dropping through first-round knockout in 2012. Mendes earned one other crack at Aldo’s featherweight title in 2014 after incomes 5 wins in a row, and the 2 placed on an epic five-round thriller once more in Rio de Janeiro. Aldo gained a choice, his last title protection earlier than dropping to Conor McGregor.
Mendes changed Aldo on quick discover at UFC 189 to face McGregor for the interim featherweight title the next yr, however misplaced through second-round stoppage.
Aldo lately returned to the UFC after practically a two-year hiatus — a interval during which he went 2-0-1 in boxing — and dominated rising prospect Jonathan Martinez at UFC 301. After finishing his UFC deal, Aldo re-signed and now faces Mario Bautista at UFC 307.
“He’s a beast, man,” Mendes stated of Aldo’s lateet win. “I’m undoubtedly not shocked he got here again and fully dominated like that. … I didn’t even know he was coming again [for UFC 307]. He doesn’t must. I feel he simply has the real love for it. And actually, I do too, that’s why I preserve coming again. However that’s superior, man. I all the time like watching Aldo battle.”
Aldo may make a case for one more shot on the UFC bantamweight title if he retains beating up-and-comers and UFC contenders, and Mendes gained’t rely him out in opposition to the likes of Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili, who headline UFC 308 for the belt on Sept. 14.
“I’d think about he’s gonna preserve pouring his coronary heart and soul into it,” Mendes stated. “He doesn’t seem to be a man that half-asses something, so I feel [he can win].”
