Hailing from the tough streets of Dublin, Ireland, Conor McGregor’s rise to the top of the UFC has been nothing short of astonishing. In just two years and five fights, ‘The Notorious One’ has gone from complete unknown to one of the sport’s most famous faces...and while he has shown considerable skill in his previous outings inside the Octagon, his fame has really come courtesy of his magnetic personality, sharp wit, and unrivalled showmanship.
Primarily a striker with a background in amateur boxing, McGregor’s style has since evolved to include an exciting combination of taekwondo, karate and even a little capoeira. While the Irishman’s striking skills are excellent, his real strength lies in his slick movement and ability to control the range. Fighting unusually long and low, McGregor has proven difficult to take down despite his kicking preference, and is able to close distance with frightening ease. Add to this his mental toughness, self-belief and ability to break the mind of his opponent with his incessant mental games, and what you have is fighter who rightfully deserves his shot at the division’s elite.
A perennial contender in the UFC’s 145-pound division, Chad Mendes might be stepping up as a late replacement, but his NCAA wrestling pedigree and a strong allegiance to Urijah Faber’s Team Alpha Male camp means that he is practically always ready to fight.
Originally a one-dimensional fighter, Mendes completely rewrote his fighting DNA following a crushing knockout loss to Aldo back in 2012. Since then ‘Money’ has transformed into one of the UFC’s most ferocious finishers, boasting five sublime stoppage wins out of his last seven Octagon performances. Sadly for his opponents his newly acquired striking proficiency hasn’t blunted his effective wrestling game in the slightest, and Mendes’ ability to instantly change levels should almost certainly pose a significant problem for his latest opponent.
Prediction: McGregor is undoubtedly one of the greatest personalities in the fight game today, but he remains largely untested and unproven in several key areas, areas where Mendes is proven to excel in. Mendes gave Aldo the fight of his life last time out, and his wrestling and striking ranks among the finest in his weight class. If he doesn't get suckered into a striking battle with his longer opponent, Mendes will definitely experience success in taking McGregor to the mat, and his mixture of damaging ground and pound and constant pressure should overwhelm the Irishman. It won’t be a defeat that will completely derail McGregor’s hype train, but the fact remains that this is a potentially disastrous matchup for the UFC's newest megastar. Mendes to win via TKO in round 4.
UFC 189 Main Card Predictions - Picks in bold:
Bantamweight - Brad Pickett vs. Thomas Almeida
Welterweight - Gunnar Nelson vs. Brandon Thatch
Featherweight - Dennis Bermudez vs. Jeremy Stephens
Welterweight Championship - Robbie Lawler © vs. Rory MacDonald
Interim Featherweight Championship - Chad Mendes vs. Conor McGregor
UFC Fight Picks 2015 Record: 44-22
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