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Chad Mendes mixing it up with Cody McKenzie at UFC 148

Former featherweight title-contender Chad Mendes has been given an opponent and date for his return to the Octagon after suffering a knockout loss to champion Jose Aldo in January. The defeat was the first of Mendes’ career. According to the UFC, the 11-1 Mendes will welcome Cody McKenzie to the 145-pound division at UFC 148. The fight will mark the first for McKenzie at featherweight after racking up a 2-2 record inside the Octagon as a 155 pounder. Mendes will be the second decorated grappler McKenzie has faced in consecutive bouts after submitting Marcus LeVesseur earlier this week at UFC on Fuel 3. The “AK Kid” holds an overall record of 13-2 with twelve submissions, many of which involved his patented “McKenzie-tine”. A Look at McKenzie’s Win Over LeVesseur UFC 148 is scheduled for July 7 and features Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen in the main event. Mendes’ teammate/mentor Urijah Faber will also see action at the show, fighting for an interim bantamweight title while champ Dominick Cruz heals up from a knee injury. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: ufc, mende, cody mckenzie, mckenzie, grappler mckenzie

Cody McKenzie Vs. Chad Mendes Set For UFC 148

Well, I wasn't expecting this fight booking. Fresh off of his guillotine win over Marcus LeVesseur at UFC on Fuel 3, Cody McKenzie will finally make the drop to featherweight. And he's got a really tough opponent for his debut. UFC.com has the news: Coming off a submission victory over a powerful wrestler, Cody McKenzie is now moving to featherweight and wasting no time by taking on yet another wrestling-based powerhouse, one of the division's elite, Chad Mendes. McKenzie's last 11 wins have come via his signature guillotine choke, while the 11-1 Mendes has never been submitted. Both fighters have verbally agreed to the bout, set to take place on July 7th at UFC 148 in Las Vegas. Mendes (11-1) hasn't competed since he was knocked out by a Jose Aldo knee in the first round of their UFC featherweight title belt at UFC 142 in January, the first loss of his career. The bout will take place on the preliminary card. SBN coverage of UFC 148: Silva vs. Sonnen II

Posted in: ufc, submission victory, mende, mckenzie, wrestlingbased powerhouse

Cody McKenzie Drops to Featherweight, Chad Mendes His First Challenge

Fresh off of a submission victory, Cody McKenzie has decided to drop down to featherweight, where he will square off with Chad Mendes. Retweet this Share on Facebook • Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn

Posted in: chad, mende, cody mckenzie, cody, bull

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

Chad Mendes vs. Cody McKenzie Slated for UFC 148

The last three men to fall to Jose Aldo are either retired or riding three-fight losing streaks. Now Chad Mendes looks to avoid joining such a dubious list. Mendes is set to take on former 155-pounder Cody McKenzie in a featherweight bout at UFC 148, promotion officials announced on Friday morning. The summer card is slated for July 7 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV, and is headlined by a middleweight title rematch between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen. Mendes (11-1) hopes to rebound after suffering the first loss of his career in devastating fashion, getting knocked out cold by an Aldo knee with a second remaining in the first round of their title fight at UFC 142. Prior to the setback, the 27-year-old former All-American racked up eleven straight victories, including a pair of UFC wins over Michihiro Omigawa and Rani Yahya, both via unanimous decision. McKenzie (13-2), meanwhile, faces a quick turnaround after submitting highly-regarded prospect Marcus LeVesseur earlier this week with yet another guillotine choke. The 24-year-old now holds 11 guillotine finishes on his résumé and has become widely renown for the submission, which he jokingly refers to as "The McKenzietine."

Posted in: ufc, michihiro omigawa, mende, mckenzie, summer card

Chad Mendes vs Cody McKenzie booked for UFC 148 on July 7 in Las Vegas

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has added a featherweight fight to its already stacked UFC 148: "Silva vs. Sonnen II" pay-per-view (PPV) event at the MGM Grand Garden Casino on July 7, 2012. Fresh off his submission win over Marcus LeVesseur, Cody McKenzie will make his 145-pound debut against former division number one contender Chad Mendes. UFC.com has the details: Coming off a submission victory over a powerful wrestler, Cody McKenzie is now moving to featherweight and wasting no time by taking on yet another wrestling-based powerhouse, one of the division's elite, Chad Mendes. McKenzie's last 11 wins have come via his signature guillotine choke, while the 11-1 Mendes has never been submitted. Both fighters have verbally agreed to the bout, set to take place on July 7th at UFC 148 in Las Vegas. Mendes was last seen getting pounded out by Jose Aldo at UFC 142 earlier this year, the first defeat of his professional career after stringing together 11 straight wins. For more on the UFC 148 fight card and line-up click here.

Posted in: ufc, chad, mende, lineup click, mckenzie

Featherweights Chad Mendes vs. Cody McKenzie added to UFC 148

Former title challenger Chad Mendes will serve as the welcome wagon for the debut of former lightweight Cody McKenzie in the featherweight division. UFC officials today announced that verbal agreements are in place for the 145-pound fight. It'll be part of July's already-stacked UFC 148 lineup on Independence Day weekend.

Posted in: ufc, chad, mende, cody mckenzie, cody

Beyond Jose Aldo: A Breakdown of the UFC Featherweight Division (Part 1)

FanPost edited and promoted by MMAmania.com. Littered amongst the path of Jose Aldo's rise to the top of Zuffa's Featherweight division are the bodies of his opponents. Many have fallen due to the flurry of strikes, knees and vicious leg kicks that he has delivered in his quest to claim, and retain, the 145-pound championship belt. With his iron grip cast over the division, the idea that "Junior" can be challenged seems preposterous in the wake of the destructive manner of his victories, including his vicious knockout of Chad Mendes at UFC 142 earlier this year. However, as opponents fall, new ones rise up to take their place on the featherweight ladder. Who can step up to the challenge and dethrone Aldo? A look at some possible contenders, after the jump. "In The Fray" Contenders 1. Erik Koch, 14-1, (Last Fight - W against Jonathan Brookins, Dec) The next man chosen to have a crack at knocking Aldo off the top perch. Koch is an exciting prospect that trains alongside former and current champions such as Anthony Pettis and Ben Askren. The sole loss on his record comes against Chad Mendes, but that's not too disparaging considering that Mendes has managed to outwrestle everyone he has fought, barring Aldo. However, his last fight against Brookins didn't really show his capabilities as the TUF Champion gave him a harder fight than many expected. Based on that performance, many believe that the odds are heavily stacked against him when he fights for the Featherweight title at UFC 149, but one should look beyond his last fight to see that he brings new challenges for the current champion with his height, range and creative striking. Against Aldo, perhaps it's a case of "too much, too soon". But regardless of whether he wins or loses, Koch looks to be a name amongst the Featherweights for some time too come. 2. Hatsu Hioki, 26-4-2 (Last Fight - W against Bart Palaszewski, Dec) The UFC's Japanese import was regarded at the time as being one of the few 'credible' challenges to Aldo's reign. Unfortunately, a lackluster debut against George Roop quelled the fire, only for a spark to reignite in his decision win against the game Bart Palaszewski. Although it was rumored that he had a chance to fight Aldo, he turned the opportunity down in favour of having one more fight against Ricardo Lamas. This puts him in a risky position: although Lamas has looked like a reborn fighter in the ranks of the UFC's featherweight division, he still lacks name value. Hioki risks losing more if he lost than he would gain if he won. However, if he did win (and he should), expect him to be offered either an immediate title shot against the Aldo/Koch winner, or to face the loser of Zombie/Poirier in another title eliminator. 3. Dustin Poirier, 13-1 (Last Fight - W against Holloway) and Chan Sung Jung, 12-3 (Last Fight - W against Hominick) Along with Aldo, Koch and Mendes, "The Diamond" is one of young talents that Zuffa recruited into their Featherweight ranks. His only loss comes against Danny Castillo at Lightweight, but since dropping down to 145, Poirier remains an undefeated force. He recently submitted Max Holloway, who was making his UFC debut at the age of just 20. Although Holloway showed prowess on his feet, Poirier managed to drag him down to the ground and submitted him inside the first round. Strong performances have seen him touted as a potential contender, but first he must get past...The Korean Zombie. His headkick KO loss against George Roop seems a universe away in light of his "Twister" against Leonard Garcia and his spectacular 7 second KO against Mark Hominick. Always willing to fight, and seemingly impervious to everything except headshots, if he wins against Poirier, he might find himself in line for a title shot against Jose Aldo due to his popularity and wild style of fighting. "Looking In" - Potential Contenders 4. Chad Mendes, 11-1 (Last Fight - L against Aldo) Ignoring the loss against Aldo, Mendes was on a tear in the Featherweight division, and had defeated the likes of Koch, Vasquez, Omigawa and others to claim his title shot. Unfortunately, when the time came, his dreams were shattered by way of an Aldo knee in the last second of the first round. However, despite the loss, Mendes remains a tough test for any fighter in his division, and even more worryingly, it looks to stay that way as the former contender is only 27. The dilemma for Zuffa now is how to utilize him. If it wasn't for Aldo, there is a huge possibility that the featherweight gold would be around Mendes' waist right now. Do they wait for Aldo to leave the division, then push Mendes to become champion? Or do they give him fighters, and hope that he doesn't become the featherweight Jon Fitch - perennial number 2 fighter in a division dominated by the champion? 5. Dennis Siver, 20-8 (Last Fight- W against Nunes) If Siver was a boxer, he would be considered a journeyman. Journeymen in boxing rarely get even a sniff of a title shot. Fortunately for Siver, he competes in MMA, and also, as of his last fight, in a division that is only just beginning to find its feet. Furthermore, his first foray down from Lightweight has been successful, winning a hard-earned decision against Diego Nunes. With that win, and the lack of recognizable names in the division, he stands on the edge of entering the fray of potential title contenders. Perhaps the next few fights will bring him closer to the final destination on his journey - a Featherweight title shot. 6. Charles Oliveira, 15-2-1 (Last Fight - W against Wisely) Before his drop to Featherweight, Oliveira was a widely touted Lightweight prospect. Having won two Submission of the Night awards, the hype was somewhat derailed when he fought against Jim Miller. For some bizarre reason, the bookies must have let Oliveira's previous performances get to their heads as he was a huge favourite against Jim Miller, who had at that point been fighting in the UFC for 2 years and had compiled a record of 18-2 against credible opponents. The knowledgeable fans were the real winners, as Miller submitted "Do Bronx" in under 2 minutes of the first round.After a tough loss, Oliveira rebounded against Nik Lentz, and would seemingly go on to become the first person to stop Lentz in the octagon. However, it was not to be as it was held that Oliveira had delivered an illegal knee, and with that, his W was changed to a No Contest. Oliveira was then matched against a rejuvenated Donald Cerrone, and in that fight, Oliveira's age (he's only 22) really showed as he looked completely dwarfed against "The Cowboy". A KO loss against Cerrone made him drop to 145lb, a wise choice as he sought to even the physical disadvantages of fighting at Lightweight. A successful debut placed him back in people's minds and on the fringes of the prospects radar once more, and now Oliveira should not be overlooked as he attempts to revive his hype in the Featherweight division. Part 2 to follow.

Posted in: fight, division, featherweight, aldo, mende

IBJJF Pan Ams Finals Live Results and Blog

After a full day of intense action the finals for all the black belt weights are set. No shortage of action at any weight class. Caio Terra moved on to finals with a masterful day, with Featherweight is set up for a classic Rafa Mendes vs Cobrinha rematch. At Lightweight Zak Maxwell seemed to be unstoppable until he ran into relatively unknown Brazilia Leandro Lo, who is a technical beast. Leandro dominated Maxwell and then Phillipe Della Monica to reach the finals against Lucas Lepri. At middleweight Kron Gracie rematched with Vitor Estima, who used footlocks to hold off the son of Rickson and reach the finals against Claduio Calasans. Yuri Silva's amazing run at his competition as a black has carried him all the way to the finals of heavyweight to face teammate Lucas Leite, and likely they will agree on a winner off the mats. The preliminary blog results are here and there was surely some excellent action there. The finals should be starting soon. Live results after the jump... Roosterweight Final: Caio Terra vs Rafael Barata Light-Featherweight Final: Bruno Malfacine vs Gulherme Mendes Featherweight Final: Rafael Mendes vs Cobrinha Lightweight Final: Lucas Lepri vs Leandro Lo Middleweight Final: Victor Estima vs Calasnas Claudio Jr. Medium-Heavyweight Final: Vitor Toledo vs Kayron Gracie Heavyweight Final: Lucas Leite vs Yuri Simoes Super-Heavyweight Final: Antonio Carlos Jr vs Bernardo Faria Ultra-Heavyweight Final: Marcus Buchecha vs Alexander Trans.

Posted in: vs, final, mende, luca, zak maxwell

Fighters Fishing for Something More

"We don’t recommend hole-jumping anyone, but it’d be a potentially life-threatening mistake to encroach on anglers Mike 'Quicksand' Pyle and Chad 'Money' Mendes. When Pyle and Mendes aren’t chasing fish, you can find them thrashing opponents in Ultimate Fighting Championship matches. 'I got started fishing when I was four years old,' said Mendes, 26, who lost his bid for the UFC featherweight title Jan. 14 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 'I came from an outdoor family, so I’ve been hunting, fishing and camping my whole life.'"Read full article

Posted in: mende, thrashing opponents, fishing, lifethreatening mistake, hunting fishing

Report: UFC 142 Sells 225,000 Pay-Per-Views

UFC 142 sold 225,000 pay-per-view buys according to Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer (subscription required). While low, this is quite a respectable number given the circumstances. Firstly the event was held in Brazil and the reduced domestic press coverage for overseas events always hurts business in North America. Secondly the card was headlined by a featherweight title fight between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes and the smaller guys have yet to prove themselves as reliable PPV draws. It's important to also note that Meltzer said some estimates of the numbers for UFC 142 were much higher than the reported number.Let's look at the reported numbers for recent PPVs for comparison (all estimates per Wikipedia): UFC 142 Aldo vs. Mendes 225,000 buys UFC 141 Lesnar vs. Overeem 800,000 buys UFC 140 Jones vs. Machida 485,00 buys UFC 139 Shogun vs. Henderson 290,000 buys UFC 137 Penn vs. Diaz 280,000 buys UFC 136 Edgar vs. Maynard 225,000 buys UFC 135 Jones vs. Rampage 520,000 buys Meltzer adds some analysis: It's appearing to be just slightly below where UFC 136 (Edgar vs. Maynard III) ended up and would be one of the lowest numbers in years, but all of that was expected, given it was not a strong marquee card and shows that emanate from outside North America generally do a lot worse. This would appear to be the UFC's current baseline number, since this show was from Brazil and was going against the Broncos playoff game. It did better in Canada and Australia. It's possible the late controversy regarding Anthony Johnson's weight called some late attention to the show and may have helped it slightly. SBN coverage of UFC RIO 142: Aldo vs. Mendes

Posted in: ufc, vs, sbn coverage, number, mende

UFC 142 review podcast: Graduate work complete Aldo shows he's on the doctoral level in MMA

By D.J. San Marco Podcast Powered By Podbean A friend of mine wrote today, "Chad would have worn him out in the later rounds" followed by "no one else can beat Chad in the weight class"; true enough my friend, but last night Jose Aldo proved to all the world that there is in fact no style that exists as his "kryptonite". Aldo has beaten great strikers such as Mark Hominick, submission guys like Uriah Faber, Mike Thomas Brown & Cub Swanson, and now the best wrestler at 145 pounds in Chad Mendes. Former WEC champions Faber and Brown also possessed a wrestling pedigree thought to be problematic for Aldo but each proved equally ineffective as Mendes.Looking into his post graduate WEC-UFC study, there is no secret to beat Aldo. There is no style to beat Aldo. Only a better fighter with an overwhelming ability will beat Aldo. Be it wrestling, striking or jiu jitsu a guy extremely dominant in one of those disciplines and versed in the others might erase Aldo's other worldly striking and athletic advantages. Prior to the fight a few pundits earmarked Aldo vs. Mendes as a potential Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen clash but as the champion stormed out of the cage in victory the analogy did not prove apropos. The UFC 142 Brazilian striker versus American grappler bout differed because Sonnen had an huge wrestling advantage, but equally important is that it was coupled with an apparent core strength advantage. Mendes did not enjoy this advantage over Aldo. The Brazilian champ had the size as well as core strength advantage in his favor and used it to effect. Nobody is unbeatable and if you've read that anywhere about any fighter, then immediately discontinue reading the musings of said writer. Jon Jones, Aldo, GSP, and Silva, are all beatableand it's only a matter of time until a foil emerges. Aldo proved unequivocally that he is to be counted among the absolute elite of MMA.So with his finals and labs complete Saturday night in the form of complete obliteration and violence against yet another game challenger, Aldo I assert is now a "Ph.D. of prize fighting". To this point in his career all who have attempted to impose their game plan against the Nova Uniao fighter have been turned away. Aldo has sometimes spurned his opponents with a hematoma while others in face exploding fashion, but turned away nonetheless.

Posted in: fighter, advantage, aldo, mende, jiu jitsu

Read the full article at UltMMA

Jose Aldo discusses decision to go into crowd after UFC 142 win

Throughout the years there have been countless post-victory celebrations ranging from backflips both standing and off the top of the cage to “the worm” to Tito Ortiz’s patented gravedigger. However, going forward few if any will be as memorable as joyous featherweight champion Jose Aldo immediately exiting the cage after his knockout win over Chad Mendes at UFC, then hopping the ringside barrier and celebrating while surrounded by his cheering countrymen. A still-glowing Aldo talked about his success on Saturday night shortly after coming away with his hand raised and also explained the reason he wanted to share the moment with his fellow Brazilians. UFC President Dana White Open to Aldo Moving to Lightweight “My fans give me so much love and so much good energy so there’s nothing better than celebrating with them,” said Aldo in a brief video from the UFC capturing his reaction. In terms of flattening Mendes with a knee in the final seconds of the opening round, Aldo did not appear surprised and made it clear he expects more of the same in 2012. “It’s what we train to do and hopefully we’ll be knocking a lot of people out,” he concluded. Aldo improved his record to 21-1 with his stoppage of the previously unbeaten Mendes. He has now won fourteen straight fights and is 3-0 inside the Octagon with notches on his belt over Mendes, Mark Hominick, and Kenny Florian. Check out the full Aldo interview below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: ufc, saturday night, jose aldo, aldo, mende

UFC 142 Results Recap: Jose Aldo Vs. Chad Mendes

In the main event of UFC 142, Jose Aldo continued his reign of terror in the 145-pound division by knocking out challenger Chad Mendes to keep a firm grip on his UFC featherweight title. Compared to his WEC run, his UFC fights had been a tad lackluster so far (despite winning both of them), but he returned to the highlight reel in dramatic fashion last night by stopping Mendes with one second to go in the first round. He also extended his winning streak to 14. Mendes started off well, landing a few leg kicks. Aldo responded with kicks of his own and stuffed some takedowns, which seemed to demoralize Mendes from that point on. Mendes almost had a takedown halfway through the round, but a blatant cage grab by Aldo kept it standing. Mendes then had Aldo's back with Jose pinned against the cage, but Aldo spun and landed a beautiful knee to the face right as Mendes dropped down to shoot in. Mendes fell flat on his back, and Aldo jumped on him and landed two more shots that put Mendes away. The fight was stopped at 4:59 of the first round, which is just the sixth time in UFC history that a guy has one with one second left in a round. What was the high spot of this fight? The beautiful Aldo knee that quickly led to the finish. You don't see pretty strikes like that very often. Aldo running into the crowd was also really fun to watch, and it was hilarious to watch him try to get away from the security guards so he could do it a second time. Where do these guys go from here? Aldo retained his status as the best featherweight in the world, but who will he face next? Mendes was the one clear-cut challenger for the belt, and he got knocked out. No one else is really on the horizon right now. Chan Sung Jung and Hatsu Hioki are the two names that come up most often. Hioki is scheduled to face Bart Palaszewski at UFC 144, while the Korean Zombie is currently unbooked. Another possible angle is Aldo taking on UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar if he gets through Ben Henderson at UFC 144, but that's a longshot at best. Mendes will have to go back to the drawing board. He is still the number two featherweight in the world, and will likely meet a top-five fighter in his next outing, but after losing to Aldo the way he did it's going to be a while before he gets a rematch. A bout with Diego Nunes would be an excellent fight and would make a lot of sense. Watch it now, later or never? Now. It was Aldo's best performance in the UFC, the finish is remarkable, and the fan reaction when Aldo runs into the crowd is amazing. Witnessing the moment that Jose Aldo became a true superstar is something I'll remember for a while, and you'll probably enjoy it too. SBN coverage of UFC RIO 142: Aldo vs. Mendes More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC 142 in the full entry UFC 142 Results: Wallid Ismail Reacts To Erick Silva DQ - Matt Roth UFC 142 Results: Six Fights To Make After Aldo Vs. Mendes - Ben Thapa UFC 142 Results: Anthony Johnson Cut Following Loss To Vitor Belfort - Matt Roth UFC 142 Results: Winners, Losers, And Other Thoughts - Matt Roth UFC 142: Rosi Sexton On Anthony Johnson And The Risks Of Weight Cutting - Bloody Elbow UFC 142 Results: Anthony Johnson 'Likely Cut' Following Loss To Vitor Belfort - Brent Brookhouse UFC 142 Results Video: Jose Aldo Vs. Chad Mendes Full Fight Highlights - Bloody Elbow UFC 142: Aldo Vs. Mendes Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse UFC 142 Results: Jose Aldo Knocks Out Chad Mendes Then Celebrates In Crowd - Matt Roth UFC 142 Results: Vitor Belfort Defeats Anthony Johnson By Rear Naked Choke - Matt Roth UFC 142 Results: Rousimar Palhares Takes Home Mike Massenzio's Leg - Matt Roth UFC 142 Results: Erick Silva Disqualified In Fight With Carlo Prater - Matt Roth UFC 142 Results: Edson Barboza Knocks Out Terry Etim With A Wheel Kick - Matt Roth UFC 142 Post-Fight Press Conference Video - Tim Burke Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 122: UFC 142 Results Review - Matt Bishop UFC 142 Results: Thiago Tavares Defeats Sam Stout by Uanimous Decision - Matt Roth UFC 142 Aldo Vs. Mendes Results: Gabriel Gonzaga Chokes Out Edinaldo Oliveira - Matt Roth UFC 142 Aldo Vs. Mendes Results: Yuri Alcantara Defeats Michiro Omigawa By Unanimous Decision - Matt Roth UFC 142 Aldo Vs. Mendes Results: Mike Pyle Knocks Out Ricardo Funch In First Round - Matt Roth UFC 142 Aldo Vs. Mendes Results: Felipe Arantes Dominates Antonio Carvalho - Matt Roth UFC 142: Aldo Vs. Mendes - Live Results And Play-By-Play For PPV - Brent Brookhouse UFC 142: Aldo Vs. Mendes - Live Results And Play-By-Play For Undercard - Brent Brookhouse

Posted in: ufc, result, matt, aldo, mende

UFC 142 Results Recap: Yuri Alcantara Vs. Michihiro Omigawa

For two rounds, Yuri Alcantara put a beating on Michihiro Omigawa. Those straight armbars from guard were not working and Omigawa was getting tagged every time he tried to employ his peek-a-boo boxing style. Then the third round came about and Omigawa had the opportunity to finish a very tired Alcantara, but a series of poor decision doomed that comeback. This was an entertaining fight, but being one of the three decisions all night may doom it to obscurity. What was the high spot of this fight? The end of the first round had the Rio crowd yelling as Alcantara nearly finished Omigawa with a very deep armbar. Omigawa was saved by the bell as the round ended and replay showed that he did not tap. In the third round, a visibly gassed Alcantara was nearly finished, but Michihiro chose to trip Yuri and work from the guard. The trip and guardwork probably cost Omigawa the chance to win the fight, but it let Alcantara survive and jump in delight as the decision was announced. Where do these fighters go from here? Omigawa might get cut. His actual record says he has gone 1-3 in his last four fights, but that Elkins decision was indefensible judging. Still, going 2-2 with the wins being over Elkins and Jason Young does not bode well for the 36 year old's future in the division. A match with a young prospect or another veteran on the verge of being cut is likely. At least, Mendes got the title shot, which could bode well for Alcantara's future. Alcantara is in a strange spot. Those above him in the divisional hierarchy are almost all occupied or waiting for the line of contention to shake out. He could vault up there and try to bull his way to the front of the line, but that third round near-loss shows that to be a very risky move. At 31, Yuri has to build to a title shot soon, but going too fast too soon could mean he never sniffs the title shot again. Sitting and waiting for someone to free themselves up seems like the best course for Alcantara. Watch the fight now, later or never? Later. In a normal card, I would say "Now", but there were seven finishes on this UFC 142 card and although there was surprising drama in this fight, it went to a decision. Cue it up later for a fine exhibition of boxing and strong ground and pound in the face of a threatening guard. SBN Coverage of UFC RIO 142: Aldo vs. Mendes More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC 142 in the full entry UFC 142 Results: Wallid Ismail Reacts To Erick Silva DQ - Matt Roth UFC 142 Results: Six Fights To Make After Aldo Vs. Mendes - Ben Thapa UFC 142 Results: Anthony Johnson Cut Following Loss To Vitor Belfort - Matt Roth UFC 142 Results: Winners, Losers, And Other Thoughts - Matt Roth UFC 142: Rosi Sexton On Anthony Johnson And The Risks Of Weight Cutting - Bloody Elbow UFC 142 Results: Anthony Johnson 'Likely Cut' Following Loss To Vitor Belfort - Brent Brookhouse UFC 142 Results Video: Jose Aldo Vs. Chad Mendes Full Fight Highlights - Bloody Elbow UFC 142: Aldo Vs. Mendes Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse UFC 142 Results: Jose Aldo Knocks Out Chad Mendes Then Celebrates In Crowd - Matt Roth UFC 142 Results: Vitor Belfort Defeats Anthony Johnson By Rear Naked Choke - Matt Roth UFC 142 Results: Rousimar Palhares Takes Home Mike Massenzio's Leg - Matt Roth UFC 142 Results: Erick Silva Disqualified In Fight With Carlo Prater - Matt Roth UFC 142 Results: Edson Barboza Knocks Out Terry Etim With A Wheel Kick - Matt Roth UFC 142 Post-Fight Press Conference Video - Tim Burke Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 122: UFC 142 Results Review - Matt Bishop UFC 142 Results: Thiago Tavares Defeats Sam Stout by Uanimous Decision - Matt Roth UFC 142 Aldo Vs. Mendes Results: Gabriel Gonzaga Chokes Out Edinaldo Oliveira - Matt Roth UFC 142 Aldo Vs. Mendes Results: Yuri Alcantara Defeats Michiro Omigawa By Unanimous Decision - Matt Roth UFC 142 Aldo Vs. Mendes Results: Mike Pyle Knocks Out Ricardo Funch In First Round - Matt Roth UFC 142 Aldo Vs. Mendes Results: Felipe Arantes Dominates Antonio Carvalho - Matt Roth UFC 142: Aldo Vs. Mendes - Live Results And Play-By-Play For PPV - Brent Brookhouse UFC 142: Aldo Vs. Mendes - Live Results And Play-By-Play For Undercard - Brent Brookhouse

Posted in: ufc, result, matt, roth, mende

UFC 142 results: Jose Aldo vs Chad Mendes event photos gallery from Brazil

UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" took place last night (Sat., Jan. 14, 2012) from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, featuring Jose Aldo successfully defending his featherweight championship with a thrilling knee tap knockout of Chad Mendes with just one second remaining in the first round. And then "Scarface" acting like an insane man by jumping into the crowd to celebrate right after. Vitor Belfort gave Anthony Johnson his comeuppance by choking him out in the opening frame of their catchweight contest with a rear-naked choke. Later in the night, UFC President Dana White sent "Rumble" packing from the promotion. In other action, Erick Silva was disqualified for illegal strikes to the back of Carlo Prater's head, who has the distinct honor of being the only man to win a UFC fight without ever landing a strike. Rousimar Palhares took home another limb when he tapped Mike Massenzio in their bout while Edson Barboza thrilled us all with a wheel kick knockout of Terry Etim. A photo gallery (via UFC.com) is available for your viewing pleasure after the jump. Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson Erick Silva vs. Carlo Prater Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim For complete UFC 142 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here.

Posted in: ufc, vs, aldo, chad, mende

UFC 142 Results: Let Aldo Reign

To many fans and observers, the performance of Jose Aldo was a little bittersweet. Sweet because of his in-cage brilliance. And for a variety of reasons: avoiding the takedown with an effortless limp leg and immaculate balance, displaying no fear in throwing leg kicks against an elite wrestler, and the last sequence which ended the fight deserves its own emphasis. Aldo's back is facing Chad Mendes with five seconds left in the first round. When Aldo breaks free, with his back still turned to Mendes, he grips Chad's right wrist with his right hand (hindering his ability to defend what was to come), swivels, and unleashes a knee that flatlines Mendes. It was the type of sequence that only the world's best could accomplish: an illustration of how MMA brilliance is defined by that momentary shift from one martial art to the next. For most fighters MMA is a metaphysical struggle: the battle between revelation and reservation. 'To what degree can I keep my flaws to myself, and to what extent can I disclose the skills with which other men should fear?' Aldo is different than his P4P contemporaries. He's not more accomplished. So let's clear that up. But his striking is not raw like Jon Jones, and his wrestling isn't lacking like Anderson Silva. If I were to focus on a word that describes Aldo, I can think of none better than 'ethereal'. Aldo isn't rattled by the sudden alterations of context inside the octagon. If you can forgive this pretentious gushing, I'd ask that you forgive me once more because I think Aldo's post fight celebration was also important. If Aldo is to become a star in his homeland, what better gesture than to allow the Rio de Janeiro crowd to share in that victory by holding Aldo himself up above their shoulders? That moment will define him for the people of Brazil for years. If there's a 'bitter' to all this, it's in thinking about Aldo's future at 145. 'What's the point?', I hear everyone saying. I agree to an extent. Right now the list of contenders are Hatsu Hioki, Dustin Poirier, Bart Palaszewski, Erik Koch, Chan Sung Jung, Jim Hettes, and perhaps the TUF star Diego Brandao will get his opportunity to be sacrificed in a year or two if he hits a nice winning streak. This is not exactly a murderer's row. For guys like Hettes, and Poirier, it's simply too soon. For others like Jung, and Hioki, it's too life-threatening. But is a move to 155 really the solution? For as interesting as the move might be, Aldo is only 25. Let him establish a real legacy while the division is still young. The problem with this line of thinking, that once a division has run out of contenders its champion needs to pack up his fists and leave, is that it can stagnate a division, leaving it without stars and history while giving it all to a division that already has it (well, minus the presence of 'stars'). The importance of being a star is that once you lose, it allows you to create new ones. Let Aldo be that star in the FW division. You're risking too much by having him move to LW. Not because he might lose, but because you'll have robbed a division of its only compelling fighter. You'll have robbed the division of the only question worth asking when watching a prospect, or contender make his own mark at 145: 'who can challenge Jose Aldo?' Poll Would you like to see Jose Aldo move to 155 or have him stay at 145? Move to lightweight. Stay at featherweight. 2 votes | Results

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UFC 142 results recap: What's next for Jose Aldo and Vitor Belfort

UFC 142 is officially in the books as Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) delivered yet another fine showing of mixed martial arts (MMA) at its best on Jan. 14, 2012, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In the main event, UFC Featherweight Champion and hometown hero Jose Aldo defended his 145-pound belt against Team Alpha Male wrestler standout Chad Mendes. The goal for Mendes was clear: Get the fight to the ground. However, early on, it was obvious that Mendes was going to have great difficulty taking Adown the Brazilian. And when the horn sounded for the end of the first round, Aldo showed the reason he is the one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, flooring Mendes with a brutal knee that led to the fight being stopped almost immediately. The co-main event featured a middleweight catchweight bout between another Brazilian product, Vitor Belfort, and Anthony Johnson, who "rumbled" onto the scale at a whopping 11 pounds more than the official weight, thus causing 20 percent of his purse to be forfeited to his opponent. Unfortunately for Johnson, the talk about the weight cut issues lasted longer than the actual fight itself. Belfort weathered the early storm, before he jumped on an inevitably gassed Johnson and used his jiu-jitsu to finish him with a choke in front a home crowd that was going absolutely bananas. After the jump, we'll take a look at what might be next for UFC 142 big winners Jose Aldo and Vitor Belfort: The build-up to UFC 142 promised a classic match up between a striker (Jose Aldo) and a wrestler (Chad Mendes). Pairings like these have, in the past, have delivered and brought very exciting fights. There have also been times when they've proven to be absolute duds. It's hard to say if the fight itself lived up to the hype. That said, what is for sure is that Aldo delivered and proved that the acclaim he receives for his abilities are well-deserved. His leg kick are ridiculous. If you stand in front of him, it's going to be an early night. Mendes found out that this can also be the case if you stand behind him, which is where he was located when Aldo spun, landed a brutal knee and then swarmed him with punches before Mario Yamasaki stepped in saved Mendes from taking any further damage. It's hard to see anyone beating him at 145 pounds. He's taken the best challengers the UFC has had to throw at him and handled them somewhat easily (withstanding the 5th round of his fight with Hominick). I'll throw two names at you. Chan Sung Jung -- He's currently got an open slot on his dance card. He's won his last two fights in devastating fashion. Do I think he can beat Aldo? No, not really, but it makes for an exciting potential fight. Hatsu Hioki -- Hioki is set to fight Bart Palaszewski at UFC 144 on Feb. 26, 2012, in Saitama, Japan. If Hioki can notch the win, it would set up a very interesting match up between two fighters who have long been ranked at the top of the featherweight weight class. After that, it gets thin. It would certainly be nice to see the UFC bring in some new talent for the champion to challenge himself against. Last night's fight between Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson meant a great deal to both participants. For Belfort, it was chance to show that his quick knockout loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 126 on Feb. 25, 2011, was not an accurate portrayal of who he is as a fighter. It was a chance to build on his most recent knockout victory over Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133 on Aug. 6, 2011. For Johnson, it was an opportunity to silence the many critics who decried him for failing to make weight, yet again. It's hard to say that Belfort is back, per se, with the win over Johnson. "Rumble" was dehydrated from the weight cut and honestly looked totally winded by the end of the fight. However, "The Phenom" has now finished his last two fights and looked great in the process. Sure, Anderson Silva made him look silly, but be real. Silva has a way of doing that. Next up for Belfort? He is set to coach in the upcoming The Ultimate Fighter (TUF): "Brazil" reality television show versus Wanderlei Silva. At the end of the season, he will rematch "The Axe Murderer" in what is sure to go down as one of the best fights of the year. What say you, Maniacs? Were you satisfied with the performances of Aldo and Belfort? Who would you like to see them both take on next? Opinions, best guesses and predictions are all welcome in the comments section below.

Posted in: ufc, fight, belfort, aldo, mende

UFC 142 results: Jose Aldo’s star rises with pound-for-pound-worthy performance in Brazil

Whether it's Anderson Silva, Jon Jones or whichever top fighter is performing, the battle to be considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in mixed martial arts (MMA) is often swayed by the guy who fought last. Perhaps it's because between these two and Jose Aldo, they've stocked the highlight reels for years to come. Aldo had looked sluggish in his last two fights, tiring late against Mark Hominick and, quite frankly, tiring early against Kenny Florian. But he's obviously made the proper adjustments, because he looked his fantastic old self against Chad Mendes, an unbeaten challenger with a ton of ability and horsepower to potentially test the champ, in the UFC 142 main event last night (Jan. 14, 2012) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. While an obvious fence grab denied Mendes what would've been a clear takedown and a likely slam onto the mat, moments later, Aldo scuttled all hopes of an upset with a move that was precisely executed: spinning out of a back-control clinch by Mendes, Aldo rotated around and, while still gripping Mendes' wrist, rammed home a booming knee. It was pretty much like hitting a T-ball given the control he had of Mendes, and one hell of a veteran move. Like every good wrinkle that turns into a highlight-reel moment, you can bet you'll other fighters trying it more often in the coming months and years. But, the visual after the fight was what truly captured the gravity of Aldo's win. Sprinting into the crowd, he celebrated the victory with his fellow Brazilians. That kind of thing really captures the hearts of fans, and will go a long way toward helping him fill Silva's shoes if and when the "Spider," who turns 37 in April, decides to retire. With a talent-rich lightweight division, and a title that could well change hands several times in the next few years, Aldo faces a tough call. He seems head and shoulders above everyone at 145 pounds presently, but that also is an opportunity to string together some good defenses and continue building his name and fame. What's scary is he took at a contender in Mendes that right now would be at least a 2-1 favorite over anyone else in the UFC currently fighting at featherweight. The guess here is we'll see more 155-pounders drop down given the circumstances in both divisions. Meanwhile, as long as Aldo stays Aldo, getting to the top of that mountain will a tough assignment for anyone. For a recap of the fight between Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes click here and here. To check out complete UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" results click here.Jason Probst can be reached at www.twitter.com/jasonprobst

Posted in: ufc, fighter, aldo, mende, years aldo

UFC 142: Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes Video Highlights

Featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo continued his reign of dominance Saturday night, defeating top contender Chad Mendes in the UFC 142 headlining bout. Previously unbeaten, Mendes came into the fight looking to assert his wrestling pedigree. However, after several failed takedown attempts, the challenger was caught with a well-timed knee, leaving him sprawled out on the canvas as Aldo rained down punches.

Posted in: takedown attempts, aldo, mende, unbeaten mendes, welltimed knee

UFC 142 results recap: Winners and losers from 'Aldo vs. Mendes' PPV event on Jan. 14

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) kept the Brazilian fans on their feet for an entire evening of mixed martial arts (MMA) goodness last night (Jan. 14, 2012) as UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" invaded the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. The card featured a headliner bout that featured a champion, Jose Aldo, who had yet to be defeated during his tenure with promotion. Not only has he not lost, it really hasn't been all that close."Scarface" defended his 145-pound title with a buzzer-beating knockout victory over Chad Mendes, followed by a ridiculous scene where Aldo flew out of the cage and ran around the arena, much to the delight of the raucous hometown fans. And to the chagrin of the security team charged with keeping him safe. Vitor Belfort scored a "phenomenal" win over Anthony Johnson, who had a lot of trouble making weight (again). The win for Belfort propelled him back into title contention and showed that he still has some gas left in the tank. Join me after the jump where we take a look at the list of UFC 142's big winners and lowly losers: WINNERS Jose Aldo -- What would happen when Aldo faced a wrestler the caliber of Chad Mendes? Could he continue to defend against takedowns the way he has in all of his other fights? Was Mendes the kryptonite for the seemingly unbeatable champion? Nope. Aldo is the best at 145 pounds. He may even be the best in the world. The scary thing is that Aldo is still relatively young and getting better with every fight. Vitor Belfort -- After taking everything that Johnson had to give him, including a swollen black eye, Belfort used his incredible athleticism and killer instinct to get a submission win over a fighter who many thought may cause problems for Belfort with his wrestling. He'll probably need another good win before a title shot is back within reach, but he's back in the conversation. Edson Barboza -- His third round knockout against Terry Etim may have been the sickest head kick finish ever. I watched it at least 15 times before I was ready to see something else. It was ridiculous. This guy's Muay Thai stand up is fantastic. He's still undefeated (10-0) and if he were in any other division than the UFC's very stacked lightweight class of fighters, he'd be getting a lot more attention. Rousimar Palhares -- His submissions are brutal. He doesn't just look for a tap, he looks for limbs. His leglocks are ruthless. Once he has a hold of you, you're done. It will be really interesting to see what kind of match up he's given next. I believe he's earned the right to fight a top-tier middleweight and am excited to watch it when it goes down. Gabriel Gonzaga -- After leaving the UFC and stating he was retiring following a loss to Brendan Schaub at UFC 121 on Oct. 23, 2010, in Anaheim, Calif., it looked as though we'd seen the last of "Napao" in the Octagon. A little more than a year later, Gonzaga felt the fire again and made his return at UFC 142. He emerged victorious with a really nice submission victory over Ednaldo Oliveira, who came into the heavyweight showdown as a highly touted prospect. Welcome back, big guy. LOSERS Anthony Johnson -- Bro, what is the deal with you and your weight? Welterweight was never your weight class. Everyone knew that but you. Now even middleweight seems to be a cut too difficult to make. UFC President Dana White has been patient with you, but he's not exactly known for having a long fuse. You really need to pick a weight class and commit to it. The sad thing is that you have a world of potential. I'd love to see you one day live up to it. Mario Yamasaki -- I usually like Yamasaki, but tonight's disqualification ruling in the fight between Erick Silva and Carlo Prater was one of the worst I've ever seen. Silva was robbed of a win bonus and the credit he deserved for an impressive victory. Something has to be done about these kind of stoppages. It hurts the legitimacy of the sport and it really is a shame. Sam Stout -- In his first fight back since experiencing the overwhelming loss of his brother-in-law, coach and close personal friend, Sean Tompkins, Stout just never really got rolling. At the end of the third round, he finally got loose a little bit and started to let his hands go. Unfortunately, it was far too little and much too late. He had already spent the majority of the fight defending and getting picked apart, to an extent, by Thiago Tavares. Credit Tavares for fighting a smart fight, but this was a less than stellar performance for "Hands of Stone." UFC security -- Look, I'm not trying to be "Debbie Downer." It was kind of a cool scene seeing Jose Aldo rush out of the cage and say hello to every fan in the arena after his win over Mendes. It just shouldn't have happened. Thankfully, nothing awful went down. There weren't any lunatics with shanks fashioned out of Dos Equis bottles, but there could have been. Anyway, that's my list. Who were your big winners and lowliest of losers from UFC 142? Let us know in the comments section below! To check out complete UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" results and detailed blow-by-blow coverage click here.

Posted in: ufc, fight, belfort, aldo, mende

UFC 142 results recap: Jose Aldo vs Chad Mendes fight review and analysis

After two straight hard-fought decision victories that didn't exactly leave everyone begging for more, some fans were wondering if the "old Jose Aldo" had disappeared. Well he made his triumphant return last night (January 14, 2012) in the main event of UFC 142 against Chad Mendes in defense of his UFC featherweight title. Mendes, with his spotless record and extremely potent wrestling attack, was expected to be Aldo's most difficult test to date, potentially pushing him to his limits both on the ground and with his conditioning. Instead, he found himself staring at the ceiling before time had expired in the first round, wondering what had gone wrong. So how did Aldo channel his old killer self? And what happens next for both young featherweights? Mendes opened up as a frenetic bundle of energy, cautiously throwing leg kicks at Aldo but the champ showed him what a real leg kick looked like with his first strike, landing a thundering right leg kick which wobbled the challenger. Next up was the takedown defense. When Aldo snapped a left hook, "Money" immediately changed levels and shot in for the takedown with incredible speed and power, but Aldo reacted so quickly that he was able to spin away from danger and leave Mendes clutching at air. Aldo again landed a ferocious leg kick and later followed it up with a big lead right uppercut which connected but again, Mendes reacted by dropping down, latching deeply onto a leg and attempting to power through and finish a takedown but the champ showcased his incredible speed and agility by again twisting away from danger. With how deep Mendes got on that takedown attempt and how effortlessly Aldo was able to escape, the bout turned from a competitive match up into a race to see when Aldo was going to knock the challenger senseless. Aldo again didn't even have to sprawl at Mendes' next takedown attempt, again deftly spinning away. He would delay the inevitable by latching onto a rear body lock (and Aldo did grab the fence to prevent a takedown attempt) but he also immediately popped back up without need of the fence the next time Mendes tried to lift him up and put him on the ground. With five seconds left in the round, Aldo finally broke Mendes' grip and in a flash of brilliance, turned and kneed the undefeated Team Alpha Male fighter directly in the face. "Money" dropped to the canvas and the champ pounced with two heavy punches on the ground before Mario Yamasaki put a halt to the fight, just one second before time expired. It was wild. It was incredible and then Aldo raced out of the cage to go celebrate with the hometown Brazilian crowd in one of the those rare moments that fans around the world will never forget. For Chad Mendes, he didn't even do anything that poorly. He had a decent gameplan, but Aldo is simply that much better than he was last night. He was quick with everything from his leg kicks to his multiple takedown shots and he did everything he could to try to put Aldo on his back. His biggest problem was giving the champ the smallest of windows after losing his grip on the back body lock and "Scarface" made him pay. The key for him moving forward will be to simply continue to develop the rest of his game, but he's got a lot of catching up to do if he ever wants to give Aldo a true test. It's going to be very difficult for Mendes to find a suitable opponent as he's clearly better than most everyone else at featherweight and the UFC won't want to see him take out potential title challengers. Perhaps a potential bout with former champion Mike Brown would be suitable. Other possible opponents could be George Roop or Tyson Griffin, who are always game. For Jose Aldo, that was the old destroyer of worlds that WEC fans were expecting to see in 2011. He looked sharp, his takedown defense was on point and his leg kicks were as vicious as ever. He had such a small opening to finish that fight, but he took it with full force and finished a fighter who had never lost a round in his MMA career. It was the type of performance that makes fans wonder, "Is it even possible to beat this guy?" In this writer's opinion, the only way Aldo could ever lose in the next few years would be if he's ill or is suffering a horrible weight cut again. There is no one even close to his level in the talent department. Potential future title challengers include Hatsu Hioki if he can get past Bart Palaszewski or perhaps the young gun Dustin Poirier, who's facing unheralded Max Holloway in three weeks. One other potential option could be fan favorite Chan Sung Jung, who's coming off a Submission of the Year effort and the second fastest knockout in UFC history. I doubt any of these guys could actually beat Aldo, but he has to face someone. Let's just hope that this is type of performance we can expect from the champion for years to come. So what did you think, Maniacs? Were you impressed with Aldo's ferociousness? Is there anyone at featherweight who can actually give him a run for his money? Sound off! For complete UFC 142 results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.

Posted in: ufc, takedown, leg, aldo, mende

UFC 142 results recap: 'Report Card' for 'Aldo vs Mendes' PPV event

Jose Aldo took a huge step toward becoming the next mixed martial arts (MMA) superstar Saturday night (Jan. 14, 2012), delivering a crushing first-round knockout of challenger Chad Mendes in the UFC 142 main event at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. With his fifth defense of his title, and third in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Aldo's performance before a cheering Brazilian crowd ended nearly as quickly as it began. In the co-main, Vitor Belfort overcame the challenge of the much-larger Anthony Johnson with a hard-nosed performance, overpowering "Rumble" to win via first-round rear-naked choke. There were several other fighters on the card who shined, as well as several who didn't, turning in a menagerie of grab bag-like of moments (and fights) that were memorable and controversial alike. The pay-per-view (PPV) main card featured 10 fighters, who aced, passed and/or failed their respective tests in "Rio." Here's a closer look at each of them graded out with the UFC 142 report card. Here's a closer look at how the competitors graded out: Edson Barboza -- AThe talented lightweight bumped his ledger to 10-0 with a third-round spinning back kick knockout of Terry Etim. Barboza's ability to control range and stuff occasional takedowns was tested last night, as Etim swarmed him to the mat twice, but Barboza's quick technical response -- a well-placed butterfly hook in both instances -- promptly returned the fight to standing position. Using a patient approach and his trademark booming kicks to the lower leg, the set up for the spectacular finish was a classic. Barboza unleashed a magnificent spinning back kick that knocked out Etim instantly, sending him crumpling to the floor.There aren't many 5'11" lightweights with a 75-inch reach, and Barboza has the stand up mojo physical tools to apply both those advantages to full effect. He also showed his potent hands in this bout, and rescued what may have otherwise been a forgettable decision win with a kick that will live forever in highlight reels.Rousimar Palhares -- AIn a relatively thin 185-pound division, champion Anderson Silva likely fights the winner of the Jan. 28 Chael Sonnen/Mark Munoz. But after that, there wasn't a lot in terms of bench strength. That changed last night as Palhares took an impressive win, albeit against an overmatched opponent. With another submission victory via heel hook, Palhares has made pulling guard an offensive move once more, akin to the early days of the UFC when nobody knew what the hell to do there. Built along compact lines with crushing strength, he seems capable of finding lower-leg submissions from virtually any position, and his reputation only grows off this latest victory.Palhares also showed a little more stand up variety with his performance, landing some thumping leg kicks, prior to the finisher. He's not going to be a betting favorite should he face Silva, but his combination of raw power, outstanding submissions, and cast-iron chin (see the Dan Henderson fight) make him an interesting proposition challenging Silva for the title. Or, anyone else, for that matter. Another good spot was that Palhares kept his emotions in check and let off the submission once fight was called. With his ability, the last thing he needs is more controversy accompanying his performances, and it was nice to see him do well in that department.Jose Aldo -- AThis was the return of the Aldo we knew and loved. The guy who turned leg kicks into a dominating weapon, and culled together highlight reels from brutal finishes. The champ's takedown defense was outstanding, though a blatant fence grab moments before the knockout stopped and obvious slam-takedown, which was precisely what Mendes needed to do to generate momentum. That being said, the ending sequence was classic Aldo, operating on a tactical level only he and other master strikers can comprehend: With Mendes clutching him from behind, Aldo used a basic over-under grip to spin out, and while keeping hold of Mendes' left hand, flung forward with a bull's-eye knee. It was a perfect set up and essentially ended the match right there.Aldo also turned a neat trick last night that's been the realm of fellow champs like Georges St. Pierre and Jon Jones: In dismantling highly-credentialed challengers, he makes the possibility of them getting a rematch a remote one, at least in the near future. Mendes would probably be a betting favorite over anyone else presently competing in the UFC featherweight division, but Aldo's blowout win will mean a long road back if he wants another crack at the belt. That's how good Aldo is, and a quite a statement to the world, that he did it against an unbeaten and talented challenger.This showing was also a return of the high-energy Aldo, who disappeared for stretches against Mark Hominick and was barely present against Kenny Florian. Smaller guys have to do more to become big names, but right now Aldo's the best under-170 lb. guy in the game.Vitor Belfort -- A-Putting the weigh-in controversy aside, where Johnson scaled a whopping 197 pounds and had to restrain himself to 205 pounds the morning of the bout, Belfort put on an impressive performance. Taking Johnson's attack in stride, Belfort showed by his striking is so dangerous, regardless of whom he's hitting, by besting Johnson in some rapid-if-wild exchanges, prior to taking the back and sinking in the fight-finishing rear naked choke.The only demerit Belfort gets here is some uncharacteristically wild striking, which a better fighter might have exploited. Either way, he gets a win that endears him to fans given how patently unfair the situation was to him. It's not quite the road he'll need to get a title shot secured just yet, but another win in vintage "Vitor" style and you can bet people will be willing to see him fight for the belt.Chad Mendes -- CThe championship challenger was doing reasonably well until the fight-finishing knee, showing improved confidence in his stand up by landing a few leg kicks, while eating much harder ones in return. Mendes gets a C here for two reasons: he lost to an amazing champion, and was screwed by ref Mario Yamasaki giving Aldo a mere warning for an obvious fence grab that denied Mendes a huge takedown. Aldo's grab was beyond incidental as it completely changed the flow of the fight.That aside, Mendes has a long path ahead of him to lock horns with the champ again. Like Vitor Belfort, who may be the most physically gifted challenger in his weight class, it'll be a tough sell on the immediate horizon to promote Mendes as a title challenger, but the good news is he still has the tools to knock off the required amount of top contenders to make his case.Terry Etim -- C-The British lightweight was game, but overmatched last night, unable to work his stand up effectively in what turned into an increasingly one-sided, albeit somewhat tepid bout, until the finish. Etim was impressive in actually taking down Barboza twice, but was quickly stymied by the Brazilian and couldn't keep the position. Terry's a willing if middling-level lightweight who's going to do well against a certain class of lightweights, and will definitely stay in the promotion given his style and English fan base, but he fell flat against one of the division's better guys tonight.Mike Massenzio -- DThe middleweight simply couldn't deal with Palhares, either standing or on the ground. Now 2-4 in the UFC, Massenzio is on promotional thin ice, though in his defense, there aren't a lot of guys that would've escaped the fight-ending submission, either. Unable to work the vital stand up phase that might have given him a chance to win, limited options made the end seem inevitable.Anthony Johnson -- FFailure to make weight? Check. Coming in more over the limit than any UFC fighter in history? Check. Losing in one round despite these advantages? Check. Johnson missed on all cylinders here, especially given that his rise from welterweight was supposed to solve his much-chronicled problem at the scales, which made him a hit-or-miss proposition come fight time. This was a massive fail on all counts. He'll need to make some serious changes to his preparation regimen if he wants to keep fighting in the UFC. Sadly, his talent and upside make it all the more tragic, because when he's on, he's as imposing as a fighter can be. There's always tomorrow when you're a young fighter, but for Johnson, tomorrow sure as heck was not this night in Brazil.Erick Silva and Carlo Prater: IncompleteSilva looked impressive in his second quick UFC bout, initially appearing to knockout Prater with blows, while his opponent was turtled on the mat. But after a lengthy post-fight interlude, it was announced that ref Mario Yamasaki was disqualifying Silva for blows to the back of the head, which apparently he warned Silva about sometime between the offense and legal blows, at which point Prater was apparently unable to continue. A disappointing ending to what should have been a showcase fight for the talented Brazilian, but ultimately there's really not enough here to grade, given the incomplete nature of the bout. For complete UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here.

Posted in: ufc, fight, johnson, aldo, mende

UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes Fight Breakdown

Dana White asked for the "WEC" Jose Aldo to show up in the days prior to Saturday's main event in Rio de Janeiro. He got that, and more in the champ's first round TKO of Chad Mendes.

Posted in: saturday, aldo, round tko, chad, mende

UFC 142 results: Jose Aldo jumps in crowd to celebrate knockout win over Chad Mendes

Last night (Sat., Jan. 14, 2012) at UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes," which took place at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Jose Aldo went back home to defend his featherweight championship against a man who was supposed to pose the greatest threat to his throne, Chad Mendes. Instead, "Scarface" delivered yet another knockout, landing a precision knee with deadly accuracy when Mendes attempted to use his wrestling to shoot for a takedown late in the opening frame. However, the knockout is not what we'll remember from last night. No, the lasting image of UFC 142 is the one you see above, an exuberant Aldo having jumped into the crowd with reckless abandon to celebrate his triumph with his people, the loving fans in Brazil who cheered him to victory. In many ways, this event felt like the wrong fight was headlining. Sure, Aldo vs. Mendes was for a championship and that should always take precedent, but Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson had all the intrigue. And not just because of the weight problems Johnson was having but because Belfort is quite possibly the most famous of all Brazilian fighters in the UFC. He is Rio's son. Last night, though, signified a star making turn for Aldo, a killer in the cage who, for whatever reason, simply couldn't find the proper acceptance from fans. His utter and complete disregard for his own safety, which UFC President Dana White was quoted as saying "freaked him out," undoubtedly endeared him not only to fans in Brazil at the arena but to folks watching at home, as well. It's easy to connect with such visceral emotion. With his cold demeanor inside the cage and the way he so easily disposed of a tough top contender, you would think Aldo might be above such a thing. But no. There he is, surfing through the crowd and fending off the security guards who are trying to protect him, just so he can ride the wave of jubilation with everyday folks like you and I. That's Jose Aldo, folks. One of the baddest motherf*ckers on the planet.

Posted in: ufc, vs, crowd, aldo, mende

Jose Aldo vs Chad Mendes full fight video highlights from UFC 142 last night (Jan. 14)

Jose Aldo knocks out Chad Mendes with a knee with just one second remaining in the first round of their featherweight fracas at UFC 142 at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last night (Sat., Jan. 14, 2012). Aldo, who once again proved that he's a force to be reckoned with in the pound-for-pound rankings, celebrated his victory by rushing out into the crowd and jumping right in to be swarmed by adoring fans. All this while security was literally fighting off crazed Brazilians aching to share in the joy of their champion emerging victorious. It was quite the scene. For a more detailed breakdown on the "Aldo vs. Mendes" fight click here and for complete UFC 142 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here.

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UFC 142 Results Video: Jose Aldo Vs. Chad Mendes Full Fight Highlights

In the championship bout Jose Aldo defended his featherweight belt against Chad Mendes in his home country of Brazil. The fight showcased why Jose Aldo is the most dominant fighter ever at the weight class. Brent Brookhouse provided play by play for UFC 142 tonight Here is how he called the fight live: UFC Featherweight Championship: Jose Aldo (c) vs. Chad Mendes - Round 1 - They touch gloves and here they go. Both men moving a lot and feeling out distance. Leg kick by Mendes lands solid, Aldo with a much better one in return. Mendes is still trying to throw leg kicks with him and Aldo is getting the better of those exchanes. Mendes shoots and Aldo defends very well. Aldo is stalking and trying to get the distance figured out. Huge leg kick by Aldo again. Uppercut by Mendes misses by a mile. Big body shot by Aldo and Mendes shoots and can not finish the takedown. Aldo with a kick, Mendes shoots, gets deep on the single leg but Aldo keeps upright. Phenomenal takedown defense so far. Leg kick by Mendes lands. Aldo with a knee, Mendes with a takedown attempt and this time manages to lock around Aldo's waist. Aldo grabs the fence to prevent the takedown. Mendes tries for the takedown and Aldo bounces back up. Mendes still trying for the takedown, he can't get it. Aldo spins, lands a huge knee and Mendes drops. Punches and Mendes is out! Aldo runs from the ring into the crowd and is being mobbed by fans! Jose Aldo wins by knockout (knee and punches), 4:59 of Round 1.

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Celebracao: Aldo KO’s Mendes to Retain Title in Brazil

Jose Aldo shared his win with his home country crowd in Brazil with a celebration in the stands after knocking out Chad Mendes at UFC 142 in Rio.

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Read the full article at MMA Weekly

UFC 142 Results Recap: Jose Aldo Knocks Out Chad Mendes in First Round

UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo knocked out previously unbeaten challenger Chad Mendes with just one second remaining in the opening round to retain his title in the main event of UFC 142 on Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Mendes unsurprisingly tried to take Aldo down early and often, but found no success as Aldo managed to remain on his feet and countered with his trademark leg kicks. With the round winding down, Aldo stunned Mendes with a knee and followed it up with punches on the ground to earn the win. Aldo immediately sprinted into the crowd to celebrate the win in his home country and was returned to the Octagon on the shoulders of fans. Aldo improves to 21-1 with the win and solidified his status as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters, while Mendes falls to 11-1 with his first career loss. Three other fights on the UFC 142 main card also ended in the opening round, as Vitor Belfort choked out Anthony Johnson, Rousimar Palhares submitted Mike Massenzio, and Erick Silva was disqualified against Carlos Prater, while Edson Barboza knocked out Terry Etim with a spinning head kick in the third round. The complete UFC 142 results were: MAIN CARD Jose Aldo (c) def. Chad Mendes via KO (knee and punches) – Round 1, 4:59 UFC Featherweight Championship Vitor Belfort def. Anthony Johnson via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:49 Rousimar Palhares def. Maike Massenzio via submission (heel hook) – Round 1, 1:03 Carlo Prater def. Erick Silva via DQ (strike to back of head) – Round 1, 0:29 Edson Barboza def. Terry Etim via KO (spinning heel kick) – Round 3, 2:32 PRELIMINARY CARD Thiago Tavares def. Sam Stout via unanimous decision Gabriel Gonzaga def. Edinaldo Oliveira via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 1, 3:22 Yuri Alcantara def. Michihiro Omigawa via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27) Mike Pyle def. Ricardo Funch via TKO (strikes) – Round 1. 1:22 Felipe Arantes def. Antonio Carvalho via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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UFC 142: Aldo Vs. Mendes Results And Post-Fight Analysis

Jose Aldo is a phenomenal fighter, there is no other way to say it. He came into UFC 142 against a guy that was supposed to be the exact guy to beat him in Chad Mendes. Mendes was fast, agile and had great MMA wrestling. But all that didn't matter because Aldo is a better fighter. Aldo was never taken down in the fight, a fact slightly tainted by a blatant fence grab to prevent from being put down once, and it seemed pretty clear from the first shot that Mendes was not going to have anything for Aldo on this night. But the result of the fight (a crushing knee and punches TKO, for those who missed it) is not as important as what happened with Aldo in his native Brazil tonight. The second he got the knockout, he sprinted from the cage and into the crowd where he was mobbed by fans in love with what he had just done. Aldo was a star to some degree in Brazil, but this was the moment where he became a superstar in the country. This was Jose Aldo becoming something more than a fighter and more than a champion. Jose Aldo is something special. Watching how quickly Anthony Johnson faded in the first round it was pretty clear that the guy wasn't healthy. I'm not saying he was sick, I'm saying he's killing himself to make weight, even at 185. When the story coming in is that doctors stepped in and told you that you must rehydrate, that's a sign that you're not doing things the healthy way. It was good to see Belfort get a big win, he's a hard guy to not root for. He was given a gift with Johnson not being active from top position and then very quick ref stand-ups. But once Johnson was clearly gassed and not able to attack, it was Vitor pouncing and showing that killer instinct. It was very interesting to hear Rogan say over and over that Johnson was at 186 and had to rehydrate on doctors orders and then push the idea that Johnson and Belfort were so close in weight on fight night that it really wasn't that unfair. Only to switch to saying how unprofessional it was multiple times during the interview with Belfort in the cage afterward. Rousimar Palhares winning by heel hook was entirely predictable. And, let's be real, that's awesome. How many other guys do you talk about rare finishing moves like a heel hook and act like it's just standard business and expected? Carlo Prater beating Erick Silva by DQ is going to be controversial either way. It looked to me like Silva landed several shots to the back of the head and I can see DQ'ing him to some extent. Given the lack of commission, I fully expect the UFC to change the result to a no contest. You can't reverse a loss into a win (you just can't, don't make me go into a long explanation of it). The real issue with the Prater/Silva fight is that there is no clear, accepted definition of back of the head. If it's the "mohawk" method, no, you don't DQ the guy. If it's the "headphone" method, then yes, you do DQ him. Until we get all referees on the same page, expect more of the same. Oh, and no, just because other incidents haven't been punished doesn't mean that no situation should be. I don't even know how to describe how awesome Edson Barboza's wheel kick knockout of Terry Etim was. It was one of the most spectacular knockouts I've ever seen in my years of watching any combat sport. It's the kind of knockout you'll never forget. Much more after the jump. SBN coverage of UFC RIO 142: Aldo vs. Mendes Thiago Tavares and Sam Stout put on a totally forgettable fight on the FX undercard. Stout was able to keep the fight standing up for much of the duration but didn't do enough work to earn the win. Tavares won, that's all there is to say really. I had a feeling that Gabriel Gonzaga would truck Ednaldo Oliveira and that's exactly what happened. Once he had a eel for Oliveira's range, he got inside, took him down and controlled him until he locked in the choke. It was a good return for Gonzaga and should temper expectations of how high Oliveira's ceiling is. Maybe it's not fair of me, but I'm hoping Michihiro Omigawa gets cut from the UFC. I find his fights pretty reliably boring and I don't think he's really good enough to hack it in the UFC. Yuri Alcantara dominated him until he ran out of gas in the third round. Alcantara has pretty good upside from what we've seen so far. Mike Pyle ran through Ricardo Funch like he was nothing. Pyle isn't going to challenge for a title in the UFC but he's going to dominate a lot of guys while being a fringe contender.

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UFC 142 results: Jose Aldo knocks out Chad Mendes

The main event of the UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" pay-per-view event taking place tonight (Sat., Jan. 14, 2012) at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, featured a featherweight fracas with Jose Aldo putting his 145-pound strap on the line against American wrestling Chad Mendes. A pound-for-pound stalwart, Aldo wasn't ever supposed to lose, with his speed and exciting style. Mendes, perhaps, presented the last interesting challenge to that with a suffocating grappling game that would snuff out any flashy offense the Brazilian could bring to the table. Nope. Sure, Mendes, tried. He took back control against the cage late in the first round but just as soon as Aldo got separation, he put his knee through a small window crashing into Mendes' skull for the knockout victory. Surprisingly enough, it took Mendes a full minute before he attempted his first takedown. It failed miserably, but hey, points for trying. Or maybe no? Aldo looked relaxed, aiming and firing away with leg and body kicks. He also worked hard on defending takedowns, as Mendes attempted a few more and was shook off with no problems. I guess working with Gray Maynard really was helpful. Mendes eventually worked his way to back control but when they separated Aldo unleashed a knee that immediately put Mendes out cold. He blasted him straight in his forehead, right on the "Money." Immediately after, "Scarface" when running into the crowd and was swarmed with adoring fans, who just ate him up while security fought to get him back to take him to the cage. It was incredible. Your winner and STILL the undisputed featherweight king -- Jose Aldo. Be sure to hit up MMAmania.com's live UFC 142 post for up to the minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of the rest of the night's action by clicking here.

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UFC 142 Results: Jose Aldo Knocks Out Chad Mendes Then Celebrates In Crowd

Jose Aldo defeats Chad Mendes by Knockout. The stoppage came at 4:59 in the first round. Chad Mendes opened up the first round with leg kicks. Jose Aldo responded with his own that landed much heavier. Chad Mendes failed on his first takedown attempt. Huge leg kick landed for Aldo. Chad Mendes came forward with a combination but missed on every strike attempt. Aldo landed a huge uppercut just before Chad Mendes attempted a deep single leg takedown. Mendes committed to a takedown attempt from outside but came up empty as Aldo stepped away. Chad Mendes landed his best leg kick of the fight with a minute left. Jose Aldo attempted a flying knee and Chad got the fight to the ground momentarily. He took Aldo's back and when he attempted a throw Aldo grabbed the fence. Aldo knocks out Chad Mendes with a knee and strikes with seconds remaining in the round. After the knockout Aldo ran out of the cage and dove right into the crowd to celebrate with his countrymen. He almost caused a riot getting carried back to the cage on someone's shoulders. It is his most dominant win as a UFC fighter and he's still the UFC featherweight champion. SBN coverage of UFC RIO 142: Aldo vs. Mendes

Posted in: jose aldo, aldo, chad mendes, chad, mende

Jose Aldo Knocks Out Chad Mendes at UFC 142, Keeps Featherweight Belt

Filed under: UFCJose Aldo is still the featherweight champion of the UFC. Aldo, fighting back home in Brazil for the first time since signing with Zuffa, defeated Chad Mendes by first-round knockout at UFC 142, defending his featherweight title and showing once again that he's among the most lethal strikers in mixed martial arts, in any weight class. It was a huge left knee to Mendes' face that knocked Mendes flat on his back, and Aldo then pounced with a couple of punches on the ground before referee Mario Yamasaki stopped the fight at the 4 minute, 59 second mark of the first round -- just one second remained in the round. "I want to thank the home crowd, all my friends who came out," Aldo said afterward. "I'm so happy fighting at home." Aldo showed that happiness to be fighting at home by running into the crowd after the fight, where he was mobbed by fans. It could have caused a crowd control problem, as large numbers of fans swarmed around Aldo, but there were no incidents and Aldo eventually made his way back into the Octagon for his post-fight interview. The story of the fight before that brutal knee was Mendes' inability to take Aldo down: Mendes tried for takedowns and Aldo had little trouble shaking him off. In the final minute of the fight Mendes did grab hold of Aldo and clinch with him against the fence, and at one point Aldo had to hold the fence to prevent from being taken down. But Aldo bided his time against the fence, saw that opening, and finished things with that knee. The win improves Aldo's professional MMA record to 21-1, while Mendes lost for the first time in his career and drops to 11-1. "Jose's a great champion. He's a tough dude. That's the best I've felt for any fight, I was very prepared, and he got me," Mendes said afterward. "He was the better man." For Mends, there's no shame in losing to Aldo. Aldo is among the greatest fighters in the sport. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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UFC 142 Live Blog: Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes Updates

Filed under: UFCThis is the UFC 142 live blog for Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes, the main event of tonight's UFC pay-per-view from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Aldo (20-1) aims to make his third successful UFC featherweight title defense, having already defeated Mark Hominick and Kenny Florian last year via decisions. Mendes (11-0) is a wrestler out of Urijah Faber's team Alpha Male who holds UFC wins over Michihiro Omigawa and Rani Yahya. The live blog is below. More: UFC 142 Results | Latest UFC News Mendes is all smiles as he makes his way to the cage to "Paradise City" by Guns N' Roses. Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Round 4: Round 5: Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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The UFC 142 Open Discussion Thread

Like a velvet glove dipped in iron, it is...The Head Kick Legend Open Discussion Thread. Join us this evening to discuss UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes, beginning with Felipe Arantes vs. Antonio Carvalho on Facebook at 7:30 p.m. ET, with the rest of the undercard airing on FX beginning at 8:00, and the main card, headlined by Jose Aldo's featherweight title defense against the undefeated Chad Mendes, airing on pay-per-view at 10:00. Your complete fight card for tonight is... Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson Ricardo Funch vs. Mike Pyle Thiago Tavares vs. Sam Stout Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim Erick Silva vs. Carlo Prater Michihiro Omigawa vs. Yuri Alcantara Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Edinaldo Oliveira Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio Felipe Arantes vs. Antonio Carvalho

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Read the full article at Head Kick Legend

UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes Real Time Results

The UFC is back in Brazil with another title-fight and a main card full of interesting match-ups in the form of UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes! Set to unfold tonight live from Rio de Janeiro, the show is headlined by phenomenal featherweight champion Jose Aldo defending his title against undefeated takedown-machine Chad Mendes and also features a co-headliner pitting popular regional star Vitor Belfort against hard-hitting wrestler Anthony Johnson. Other bouts highlighting the card include Sam Stout vs. Thiago Tavares, Mike Massenzio vs. Rousimar Palhares, and Terry Etim vs. Edson Barboza. Check Out the UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes Countdown Special As always, Fighters.com will be tuned in as soon as the preliminary pairings start up while reporting outcomes back to our readers as they unfold in real time from Rio. Facebook will kick things off at 7:05 PM EST before action heads to FX an hour later and then to PPV at 10:00 PM EST. Read below for a full rundown of UFC 142 results: Antonio Carvalho vs. Felipe Arantes Mike Pyle vs. Ricardo Funch Yuri Alcantara vs. Michihiro Omigawa Edinaldo Oliveira def. Gabriel Gonzaga Sam Stout vs. Thiago Tavares Terry Etim vs. Edson Barboza Erick Silva vs. Carlo Prater Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes Tweet

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“UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes” Live Results and Coverage

It’s the first UFC event of 2012 and they’re returning to the most rabid MMA country in the world with a card stacked with hometown favorites. Coming to us live from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; it’s UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes. As always, FiveOuncesOfPain.com will provide complete results including a round by round recap of all the live televised action. The night kicks off at 7:30PM EST on Facebook.com with one preliminary fight. Then at 8PM EST there’s a handful of prelim bouts on FX. Finally, at 10PM EST, the main card goes live on PPV. UFC 142 is headlined by a featherweight title fight as explosive Brazilian champion Jose Aldo defends his title against top contender, the undefeated Chad Mendes. In the co-main event, the most popular MMA fighter from Brazil, Vitor Belfort, battles Anthony Johnson in a catchweight bout. Also on the card is a middleweight bout between top jiu-jitsu artist Rousimar Palhares and wrestler Mike Massenzio, plus a lightweight showdown between highly touted prospects Edson Barboza and Terry Etim. PRELIMINARY CARD (FACEBOOK) Antonio Carvalho vs. Felipe Arantes PRELIMINARY CARD (FX) Mike Pyle vs. Ricardo Funch Yuri Alcantara vs. Michihiro Omigawa Edinaldo Oliveira def. Gabriel Gonzaga Sam Stout vs. Thiago Tavares MAIN CARD Terry Etim vs. Edson Barboza Erick Silva vs. Carlo Prater Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes

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UFC 142 Fight Card Primer: Jose Aldo Vs. Chad Mendes

It doesn't get much bigger than this. The dominant champ gets to defend his belt in his home country. The challenger is a protege of a guy that has fought the champ before, but this new challenger has a better wrestling pedigree. Is that the champ's achilles heel? Or will the champ blow through this guy just like he's put away his last four challengers? Jose Aldo (20-1, 2-0 UFC) meets Chad Mendes (11-0, 2-0 UFC). This one's pretty simple rankings-wise. Aldo is obviously the number one featherweight in the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, and the challenger Mendes is number two. If Mendes wins, they flip flop. If Aldo wins, Mendes will sit at two for a while until the next challenger is artificially inflated. This featherweight UFC 142 fight will be the main event of the night, and will be aired live on pay-per-view. The PPV broadcast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. How do these two stack up? Aldo: 25 years old | 5'7" | 70" reachMendes: 26 years old | 5'6 | 66" reach What have these two done recently? Aldo: W - Kenny Florian (UD) | W - Mark Hominick (UD) | W - Manny Gamburyan (KO) Mendes: W - Rani Yahya (UD) | W - Michihiro Omigawa (UD) | W - Javier Vasquez (UD) How did these two get here? Jose "Scarface" Aldo is a seven-year vet with a ton of wins and just one loss (over 6 years ago). He's currently on a 13-fight win streak, most of which came under the Zuffa umbrella. Five straight wins in the WEC earned him a shot at the champ Mike Brown in November 2009, where he basically decimated him and scooped his belt. Former champ Urijah Faber was the first challenger, but he went home with purple legs and another L on his record. Manny Gamburyan was the last WEC victim, getting KO'd in the second round. He was gifted a UFC featherweight belt after the merger, but struggled in his first defense against Mark Hominick at UFC 129 due to a rough weight cut. He still won though, then put away veteran Kenny Florian at UFC 136 by decision to defend the belt once again. Mendes is, by far, the best wrestler Aldo has faced, so this will be a major test for the dynamic striker. Chad "Money" Mendes was a two-time NCAA D1 All-American in college, and made the transition to MMA shortly after school was over by hooking up with Urijah Faber and Team Alpha Male. After five straight wins on the California regional circuit, Chad was brought into the WEC. He dominated there as well, winning all four fights he had while wearing the blue gloves. After defeating Michihiro Omigawa in his UFC debut at UFC 126, Mendes was expected to get a title shot against Aldo at UFC 133. That went sideways, but Mendes didn't care and defeated Rani Yahya to cement his title shot. He walks into enemy territory, but is determined to bring the belt back to the United States. Why should you care? The UFC featherweight title is on the line, and the champ is facing the best wrestler in the division. In Brazil. There's a lot to like here. You can catch more UFC 142 preview content from Bloody Elbow after the jump. SBN coverage of UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes UFC 142 Rio: Anthony Johnson Misses Weight By 12 Pounds, Will Fight With Stipulation - Josh Nason UFC 142 Weigh-Ins - Anthony Johnson Misses Weight Badly - Josh Nason UFC 142 RIO: Vitor Belfort Vs. Anthony Johnson Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC RIO 142: Aldo Vs. Mendes Staff Predictions - Bloody Elbow UFC 142 RIO: Rousimar Palhares Vs. Mike Massenzio Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 142: Jose Aldo Is The New GSP, And That's Not A Good Thing - Fraser Coffeen UFC 142: Aldo Vs. Mendes Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC 142 RIO: Edson Barboza Vs. Terry Etim Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 142 RIO: Erick Silva Vs. Carlo Prater Dissection - Dallas Winston Will Tim Tebow Hurt UFC 142's PPV Performance? - Brent Brookhouse UFC 142 Pre-Fight Press Conference Coverage - Tim Burke Watch Countdown To UFC 142 Rio Video On Bloody Elbow - Josh Nason UFC 142 RIO: FX Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 142 Judo Chop: The Leg Lock Set Ups of Rousimar Palhares - T.P. Grant

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UFC 142 fight card: Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes prediction, preview and breakdown

Jose Aldo looks to make the fifth defense of his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight belt in front of his native Brazilians when he takes on unbeaten powerhouse grappler Chad Mendes in the UFC 142 main event this evening (Jan. 14, 2012) at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Aldo's got a great opportunity to solidify his status as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the game with a big win. At 11-0, Mendes has soldiered from obscurity to consensus top-contender status, with a strong takedown game, improving stand up, and the ability to essentially shut down anyone unfortunate enough to find themselves underneath him. And while Mendes has been knocked for a decision-leaning style -- seven of his wins are over the distance, including five of his six bouts under the WEC/UFC banner -- the style match up virtually guarantees an exciting clash. The Team Alpha Male-trained fighter will likely battle to get Aldo to the mat, something that's one hell of a risky proposition, precisely because the champ punishes people like few others. However, if Mendes can get Aldo there, it's a very winnable fight. He only needs to be superior in three of five rounds to take the title, and his conditioning is top-notch. Follow me after the jump for a complete breakdown of the UFC 142 fight between Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes: The Breakdown Despite his reputation as a dominant, almost machine-like fighter, the champ's last two performances are cause for concern. Compared to the destructive showings he put on against Mike Brown, Urijah Faber and Manny Gamburyan, it's not clear if Aldo's merely had two off performances through sheer chance, or if problems making the 145-pound limit are catching up to him. Either way, his volume and output of strikes against Mark Hominick and Kenny Florian were much diminished compared to his previous displays. And he looked tired early in both matches. Hominick's late surge in their April brawl turned a one-sided Aldo beating into a competitive fight, while Florian, despite going 1 for 19 on takedowns, was able to stifle and shut down Aldo with endless attempts against the cage that failed, but the champ wasn't able to punish him extensively in doing do. This dynamic of limited Aldo output is precisely what Mendes will look to exploit. Mendes' stand up is based around high-percentage attacks, nothing exceptionally fancy, and he possesses a nifty right hand counter he'll explode down the middle when he sees an opening. Aldo figures to touch him up well in the early stand up, much as he did Faber, but Mendes will have to be durable and resilient enough to absorb these and keep pushing ahead, waiting for his opportunity to turn the fight on its head. He can do this by tying up and pushing Aldo against the cage, working for takedowns, and punishing the champ with strikes in-close. If and when Mendes can get it to the mat, it will likely result initially into a tactical stalemate. Aldo was a world Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion with outstanding submissions, but Mendes is good enough to avoid these. Mendes rarely looks to pass guard, so he'll be smart to lay in guard and pound on Aldo when spots present themselves, while pushing hard and taxing Aldo's gas tank. If Kenny Florian could run Aldo out of gas through endless failed takedown attempts, Mendes is going to do him one better by taking Aldo down and really pushing him to empty. The Pick This is a very tough fight for both guys. Mendes in the sense that he's going to Brazil to take the title from an exceptionally dangerous guy, one who can strike and grapple with equal skill. But, Aldo has his hands full over five rounds, especially with an unbeaten guy like Mendes who doesn't figure to run out of gas, or quit trying. With the champ's reduced standup output of late, I think it's clear that his days at 145 are numbered, and Mendes has the best style to beat him. Surviving some rough spots early, look for Mendes to score key takedowns in the middle of the fight to wear down Aldo, as well as some surprisingly effective stand up in the mid- to-late portions of the fight, which Mendes will also turn into takedowns. Mendes scores the upset, taking a hard-won bout by unanimous decision. Mendes via decision Be sure to join MMAmania.com this evening for LIVE, detailed UFC 142 results of all the "Aldo vs. Mendes" PPV action. It will include blow-by-blow coverage of the Facebook video stream, FX "Prelims" bouts, and of course, the PPV broadcast. We'll start RIGHT HERE at around 7:30 p.m. ET and carry straight on through early Saturday morning. See you then!

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UFC 142 Results: Aldo vs. Mendes

Filed under: UFC, ResultsMMA Fighting has UFC 142 results for all of the Jan. 14 UFC 142 fights, plus live blogs of all the Ado vs. Mendes fights and live UFC 142 twitter updates. In the main event, UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will defend his title against Chad Mendes. In the co-main event, Vitor Belfort will square off against Anthony Johnson. Check out the full results below. Main card Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes (live blog) Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson (live blog) Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio (live blog) Erick Silva vs. Carlo Prater (live blog) Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim (live blog) Preliminary card Thiago Tavares vs. Sam Stout (live blog) Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Ednaldo Oliveira (live blog) Yuri Alcantara vs. Michihiro Omigawa (live blog) Mike Pyle vs Ricardo Funch (live blog) Felipe Arantes def. Antonio Carvalho via unanimous decision (live blog) Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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UFC Quick Quote: Chad Mendes sticking to his wrestling roots ahead of Jose Aldo showdown

"I totally understand that you get a lot of MMA fans that don't understand the style of wrestling or they just don't like it, and everyone has an opinion. If it was up to me, of course I would go out there and knock everybody out in the first 30 seconds of a fight. I mean that's the easiest thing to do. You go through a whole camp and you go through the first 30 seconds and the fight is over. Obviously at this level guys are tough and it's not always going to happen that way. It's so much harder going a full fight. We all know wrestling is my strength, and wrestling and cardio and stand-up cardio is completely different. We're looking to exploit that. The wrestling mentality, and I think that's why some people just criticize, but the wrestling mentality is to go, go, go, get your hands on them, grind and wear them out and break them down. A lot of the time that takes a while especially because guys are in such good shape nowadays. That grind, that ability to break your opponent, just takes longer than it used to. I see the criticism, and a lot of people don't like it, but that's my style. I started wrestling when I was five years old, that's what I do, and I haven't lost a round in MMA yet, and that's just the dominating style of wrestlers. Wrestling is my strength, it's my bread and butter, and it's something I'll do till the day I die." -- In a day and age where knockouts and submissions are all the rage, undefeated (11-0) wrestling powerhouse Chad Mendes tells MMAWeekly.com that fans should not expect a quick finish tonight (Jan. 14, 2012) at UFC 142 in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, when he steps inside the Octagon to take on Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight king Jose Aldo. That's because, even though the former NCAA All American wrestler would love nothing more than to score a quick win, he will do what he does best, and that's wear down his opponent and grind out a victory using his extraordinary wrestling skills, even if it takes the full 25 minutes. With four consecutive unanimous decision victories and seven out of 11 going the distance, Mendes may be at risk of being labeled as "boring" or "safe;" however, Mendes won't stray away from what brought him to where he is now, an undefeated mixed martial artist (MMA) who is one win away from becoming a UFC champion. And why should he? Mendes has yet to lose a round in MMA. Of course, the man who will stand across the cage from him has not lost a fight in 13 contests and is one of the most dangerous stand-up specialists in the game today with 12 knockout victories to his credit. Something's got to give. But what?

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UFC 142 ‘Aldo vs. Mendes’ Results & Recap

UFC 142 takes place later tonight at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event airs live on pay-per-view at 10pm ET/7pm PT. The pay-per-view broadcast will be preceded by a prelim special on FX at 8pm ET/5pm PT. In the main event, Jose Aldo puts his featherweight title on the line against Chad Mendes. Anthony Johnson meets Vitor Belfort in the co-main event. Rousimar Palhares takes on Mike Massenzio in a middleweight bout. Carlo Prater takes on Erick Silva in a welterweight match-up. Edson Barboza meets Terry Etim in a lightweight bout. Results, recap and bonuses after the jump. Results Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson Mike Massenzio vs. Rousimar Palhares Carlo Prater vs. Erick Silva Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim Sam Stout vs. Thiago Tavares Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Ednaldo Oliveira Yuri Alcantara vs. Michihiro Omigawa Ricardo Funch vs. Mike Pyle Felipe Arantes vs. Antonio “Pato” Carvalho Recap & Thoughts Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim: Carlo Prater vs. Erick Silva: Mike Massenzio vs. Rousimar Palhares: Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson: Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes: Bonuses $??? Submission of the Night: Knockout of the Night: Fight of the Night:

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Jose Aldo: “I’ll push the pace and get back on the road to knockouts.”

When UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo first made a name for himself in WEC it was in large part the result of not only his dominance in the cage but the way in which he beat opponents. Six of his seven WEC appearances resulted in a strike-based stoppage with the lone exception being a decision over a badly-battered Urijah Faber. However, Aldo has gone to the judges’ scorecards both times he’s fought inside the Octagon – something the 25-year old Brazilian hopes to change tonight when he faces Chad Mendes at UFC 142. Aldo spoke some about his inability to overwhelm opponents in the UFC as he did in WEC, offering up a fairly logical reason for the change in outcome. “More publicity means more studying, more strategy, and guys come to fight avoiding my creativity,” explained in an interview with the UFC’s website. “It’s not like in the WEC times, when they were unsure of, ‘What will this guy will come out with next?’ So this is not just trying to knock their head off, but there is an elite opponent ready to capitalize on my mistakes and spoil things for me.” “I never stopped training flying knees, and my standup game is much better than it was in the WEC, but like I mentioned, we have worthy talent standing on the other side of the cage,” he continued. “WEC (did) too, but in the UFC, the opponents have more footage and they are taking advantage of this fact.” Come tonight’s bout against Mendes it could be a different story, as Aldo revealed he is understandably amped about competing in his home-country, saying, “I’m fighting in Rio de Janeiro, with the support of my fans, so I’ll push the pace and get back on the road to knockouts.” Fans can catch Aldo’s attempt to finish the unbeaten Mendes tonight on PPV when things start at 10:00 PM EST. As always Five Ounces of Pain will be covering the action from start to finish. Make sure to check back here when preliminary pairings begin at 7:00 PM EST on Facebook. PHOTO CREDIT – WEC/UFC

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Aldo defends belt vs. Mendes at UFC 142

Jose Aldo stopped Chad Mendes with one devastating knee to the head with a second left in the first round Saturday night.

Posted in: jose, head, aldo, chad mendes, mende

Read the full article at sportsnet.ca

UFC 142: Aldo knocks out Mendes to keep belt

Jose Aldo stopped Chad Mendes with one devastating knee to the head with a second left in the first round Saturday night.

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Read the full article at sportsnet.ca

UFC 142 RIO: Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes Dissection

The centerpiece of tonight's UFC 142 RIO: Aldo vs. Mendes pay-per-view is a featherweight fracas pitting divisional monarch and top pound-for-pound candidate Jose Aldo in his fifth title defense against unbeaten Team Alpha Male wrestler Chad Mendes. Jose Aldo (20-1) has been methodically sniping off the top end of the 145-pound totem pole. His systematic elimination began at WEC 44 against American Top Team's rugged veteran Mike Brown, who, unbeknownst to him, was wearing Aldo's future around his waist. The Brazilian had earned his shot with five highlight-reel stoppages in the WEC but Brown's cachet and power-grappling was purported to be a rude awakening. And it was, but crosswise: Aldo eschewed Brown's takedowns and surprisingly landed one of his own in the second, then teleported instantly to back-mount and pounded him out to become champion. He'd already proven that he was a human wood-chipper on the feet by mangling foes with a cyclone of Muay Thai, but beating someone of Brown's caliber at his own game foreshadowed the complex monster that Jose Aldo has become today. Next up was former longstanding champ and poster-boy Urijah Faber. Aldo spent all five rounds sawing his leg in half with unending waves of wicked roundhouse kicks, causing even the at-home viewers to wince in sympathetic pain each time his shin plunged sickeningly deep into "The California Kid's" tenderized thigh. Then it was Hayastan bruiser Manny Gamburyan. Bam. Lights out. Second round. The champ's last two defenses were sturdy decisions over Mark Hominick and Kenny Florian. Some feel they exposed some holes in Aldo's game; others opine that they merely dragged the champ into deeper waters and weren't crushed immediately like the rest. More UFC 142 Dissections Belfort Vs. Johnson | Palhares Vs. Massenzio | Barboza Vs. Etim | Silva Vs. Prater | FX Prelims Chad "Money" Mendes (11-0) has never lost a fight. In fact, he's never even been put in a precarious situation nor divulged any glaring weaknesses. The closest thing to a hole he might have is that he's mostly a one-dimensional wrestler, but that one dimension has delivered a perfect MMA record and expedited him to a title shot in just over three years of professional competition. A former Division 1 wrestler at Cal-Poly, Mendes tore through his first five opponents (1 sub, 2 TKOs, 2 decisions) relying mostly on his voracious takedowns and startling athleticism. While rounding out his overall skill-set with Team Alpha Male, Mendes signed with the WEC and kept on buzzing through the competition. He handed Roufusport juggernaut Erik Koch his first loss (decision), submitted Anthony Morrison (guillotine choke), and then rattled off four decision victories to assume the top-contender role: Cub Swanson, Javier Vazquez, Michihiro Omigawa and Rani Yahya. Three of those fighters are BJJ black belts, two of which are at the apex-level (Yahya, Javi) and Omigawa is still a force on the mat. Fans frowned upon Mendes' control-based strategy, yet tossing around fighters of this caliber and fearlessly diving into the jaws of their guards was extremely impressive for someone as green as Mendes. All the while, his boxing was looking sharper in each outing and he was still as lightning-fast and explosive as ever. Gifs and analysis in the full entry. SBN coverage of UFC 142 RIO: Aldo vs. Mendes I enjoy being overly dramatic in my writing and embellishing the analysis to portray the fighters like comic-book superheroes. I've put together a heaping assembly of gifs for Jose Aldo, but instead of saucing up each one with a lengthy description, I think the unbridled violence herein speaks for itself. Just take a minute and soak each one of these in. My intensely professional assessment of the gifs above: that is some seriously frightening ass-kicking. This is MMA, so all the competitors are fighters. They fight for a living. Some are aggressive. Some are composed. Some are resplendently technical, others are brutally raw. However, Jose Aldo is a f**king fighter, in every sense of the word. He can do it all and he's both fundamentally polished and uncontrollably destructive. To the right is a subtle example of his artful skill, without even throwing a punch. When you think Mark Hominick, the two phrases that should immediately to mind are "technical kickboxing". Aldo hangs out in the pocket and puts on a veritable clinic of how to slip punches. My point is that Aldo is stamped as a Thai wrecking machine, and rightfully so, but he doesn't get enough credit for the astronomical level of abilities he's shown in so many different areas. Here the champ attacks with what many assume to be his weakness. Admittedly, Aldo has never encountered a wrestler like Mendes and he'll be hard-pressed to compete directly with a D1 standout, but there's no question that he's exhibited a very under-appreciated proficiency with both securing and defending takedowns. Florian made it clear that he intended to swallow him up in the clinch to stifle his offense, but the champ had none of it. Staying elusive with excellent circling, Aldo was adept in nabbing the whizzer and punishing the challenger with a medley of knees and dirty boxing. A salient factor is that, while his clinch tactics have passed the test, the only opponent to assail him with dropping levels and shooting takedowns from outside was Brown, and Mendes' agile freestyle wrestling is unparalleled in the division. Rather than contest Aldo with clinch tie-ups, Mendes will attack with blindingly fast shots that are set up brilliantly with his strikes and footwork. Mendes is truly an athletic specimen with obvious takedown prowess, but he implements his strengths very intelligently. To the left, notice how he fakes a level drop to open things up. This causes Vazquez to freeze in place and brace for the takedown, and Mendes switches it up and cracks a high kick. In the ensuing blitzkrieg he follows with, the wrestler carefully measures his steps to shrink the distance and maintains excellent balance while pressuring with punches. It's worth noting that, though he sets up the high kick and shows decent form with his aggressive boxing, his defensive mannerisms definitely offer some opportunities for a precise marksmen like Aldo. Sure, the front roll and flip to the right might be a little more "show than go", but I applaud the high work-rate, activity and courage of Mendes. Vazquez is a complex submissionist and it takes huge cajones to pull off these theatrics. The way Mendes confronted such talented grapplers would indicate that Aldo will have a tough time sweeping or submitting from the bottom. All of my praise for Mendes' strides with his stand up comes with the disclaimer of how inexperienced he is. Plus, pure wrestlers typically struggle to get comfortable on their feet because of the opposing variables of stance and footwork, and Mendes has excelled phenomenally in putting it all together. That being said, all of his offensive striking in these animations show a susceptibility to precise counter-punching, where Aldo reigns supreme. Despite his encouraging improvement, I can't help but think that Aldo is going to light him up on the feet. For everyone who equates Mendes with guys like Tyron Woodley who are "scared to fight" and "only play it safe", please review this collection of gifs and rethink your stance. As far as physical attributes like strength, quickness, agility and conditioning, I'd put Mendes at the top of the heap. Aldo is still fleet afoot and will have a slight edge in height and reach, but the gist of the match up comes down to who can keep things in the phase of combat where they are strongest. Footwork will dictate the location of the fight and Mendes has incredible movement. While Aldo is a black belt in BJJ, Mendes has proven his prowess against others with the same accolades and Aldo didn't seem to scramble with busy hips and the sense of urgency I'd expect in his past performances. Mendes should be able to shut down his guard and be productive enough with ground and pound to avoid stand ups. To summarize, it's just too hard to pick against an undefeated wrestler like Mendes, especially considering how much power takedowns and top control have in neutralizing other weapons and in the eyes of the judges. His chin has looked solid thus far but he's yet to encounter someone of Aldo's stature. I'd estimate their advantages to be about even in their respective specialties -- Mendes on the mat and Aldo standing -- but think Mendes has the better chance of implementing his best weapon. My Prediction: Chad Mendes by decision. Poll Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes Jose Aldo Chad Mendes 29 votes | Results

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UFC 142: Jose Aldo KO's Chad Mendes to retain title

Jose Aldo remained the UFC Featherweight Champion, after defending his title for the third time with a devastating first round KO victory over Chad Mendes. Aldo controlled the action inside the Octagon, not allowing Chad Mendes to execute his wrestling-based gameplan. Mendes had some success with leg kicks and one takedown that allowed him to take Aldo's back, but this fight was all about the champion finally proving himself after two disappointing performances against Kenny Florian and Mark Hominick.

Posted in: kenny florian, aldo, chad mendes, chad, mende

UFC 142 Breakdown: The Main Event

When the WEC merger was first announced some fifteen months ago, featherweight champion Jose Aldo was deemed to be the star acquisition. Eager to see him delight those who are oblivious to his immense talent, the UFC scheduled him for a quick Octagon debut on the year’s first fight card. Things didn’t go according to plan however, as a shoulder injury forced Aldo on the sidelines for a few months, and since his return, he hasn’t quite looked like the fighter who terrorized the WEC ranks. Despite two successful title defenses under his belt last year, Aldo has simply looked like a more tentative and less violent version of the man who shattered Cub Swanson‘s face in eight seconds. Stories of arduous weight cuts further enhanced trepidations surrounding Aldo’s future performances, and talks of a move up in weight have since emerged. For the champion to silence the hard-to-please critics, he needs to deliver in his home country in spectacular fashion, and be the first man to inflict a blemish on Chad Mendes‘ spotless record. Featherweight title fight: Jose Aldo (c) vs. Chad Mendes Despite the pressure weighing firmly on the Brazilian’s shoulder, it is Mendes who faces the more daunting task, as a shaky fifth round against Mark Hominick aside, Aldo hasn’t looked vulnerable in years. The champion’s performance against Kenny Florian may have underwhelmed, but he still managed to win the bout in relatively straightforward fashion — despite Joe Rogan‘s best attempts to convince us otherwise on commentary — and did so without ever really needing to switch gears. However, it would be disingenuous to ignore that Aldo didn’t quite look like his usual dynamic self. Despite landing typically crisp and clean shots, and displaying some great hips to stay vertical, Aldo lacked the trademark explosiveness in his attacks. Moreover, he seemed to be throwing with less volume, and wasn’t quite as willing to move forward as he usually is. And while it remains too early to speculate whether this is a direct result of the shoulder injury sustained a year ago, his upcoming bout will be telling in that regard. Aldo is a master at gauging distance. Like his compatriot Anderson Silva, he likes to dissect his opponent before picking his primary method of attack accordingly. Having one of the most diverse striking arsenals in the sport allows Aldo to choose between a boxing-oriented approach (such as the Manny Gamburyan fight) , or one that is more reliant on his devastating leg kicks (see the Urijah Faber bout). Ever since capturing the title in breathtaking fashion against Mike Brown back in 2009, Aldo has developed into a more patient striker. In fact, that tile-winning performance was the last time Aldo completely blitzed his opponent from start to finish, as he overwhelmed Brown with a barrage of kicks, knees and some terrific combinations. From that point onwards, Aldo has implemented a more measured approach, highlighted by less volume, better boxing technique, and improved counter-punching. Such versatility makes Aldo an incredibly difficult opponent to prepare for, as there is very little indication as to the specifics of what he has in store. This sort of fighting maturity is unusual at Aldo’s age, but it is what makes him such a special talent. The main issue with Mendes is that despite technically solid striking, he shows very little confidence in his stand-up. When he actually throws with conviction, his punches are quite crisp. However, he very seldom does, and his lack of belief in his striking is quite evident. His outing against Michihiro Omigawa remains perhaps the only time where Mendes exhibited real improvement in his stand-up skills, only for his striking to look curiously regressed against Rani Yahya. His performance against the former saw Mendes show a remarkable ability to get on the inside and put clean combinations together. Specifically, his right cross looked extremely sharp, and he showed a surprising ability to sit on that particular punch and land with power. Getting on the inside will be vital against Aldo, especially if the Team Alpha Male fighter is able to show the kind of sharp boxing he did against Omigawa, as it would allow him to set up takedowns properly and potentially put the champion on his back, which ultimately remains his main goal. And yet, getting on the inside against Aldo is not only a difficult task, but a risky one as well. The champion is an expert at controlling distance, and as long as he throws his leg kicks liberally, Mendes will be far too worried about them to be able to step inside, counter, and switch levels. Furthermore, Aldo is simply devastating on the inside, be it with combinations, snapping knees to the body, or some solid clinch work. The uppercut in particular could be a game-changer, as Aldo sets it up beautifully by faking a left hook, and it serves as a great counter to a constantly level-changing opponent. Should Mendes succeed in avoiding Aldo’s laser-guided punches and go for the double leg, he is certainly capable of putting him on his back. It will be vital for Mendes to secure clean takedowns away from the cage in order to make Aldo’s life more difficult in his efforts to get back to his feet. However, Aldo’s hips and overall takedown defense will make Mendes earn his keep, as it is unlikely the challenger is going to be able to effortlessly and consistently put his opponent on the bottom. Should he succeed in doing so however, Mendes needs to show a dominating top game he has yet to display. “Money” does little in terms of guard-passing or significant ground-and-pound, and instead stays tight inside the guard, occasionally landing some short elbows. While this could actually limit scrambling opportunities for the champion, it increases the chances of referee-induced stand-ups, especially when a chorus of Brazilian boos is showering the cage simultaneously. In light of his last two showings, the main worry for Aldo will be his conditioning, as he has looked somewhat faded in the closing rounds against Florian and especially, Hominick. This in turn could mean that Mendes will have less trouble taking the champion down in the final ten minutes, which, if accompanied by a solid outing in at least one of the earlier rounds, could well win him the fight. Nevertheless, banking on Aldo’s cardio to ultimately cost him the fight is — while possible — a bit far-fetched. More likely, Aldo will control the distance and eventually polish his opponent off with superior striking. Mendes could well have his moments and get the fight to the ground, but those occasions will likely be very few, and would only delay the inevitable. Official Prediction: Jose Aldo to defeat Chad Mendes by TKO in Round 2 PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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Chad Mendes Won’t Apologize if He Grinds a Win

Boring wrestler? Chad Mendes says if wrestling carries him to a title win at UFC 142 and it takes five rounds, that's just fine by him.

Posted in: title, chad mendes, chad, mende, rounds thats

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

UFC 142 Main Event Results - Aldo Caps Big Night for Brazil with KO of Mendes

Jose Aldo left the building. Well, at least he left the Octagon at the HSBC Arena seconds after he defended his UFC featherweight title Saturday night with a stirring first round knockout of Chad Mendes, celebrating with his fans and putting a cap on a triumphant night for the Brazilians at UFC 142 in Rio de Janeiro.The defense was Aldo’s third successful one since debuting in the UFC in 2011, and his first finish in the Octagon.“Jose’s a great champion,” said Mendes. “He’s a tough dude. That was the best I felt for any fight, and he got me.”Mendes fired off inside leg kicks to start the bout, taking a page out of Aldo’s playbook. Aldo returned fire though, showing Mendes immediately who had more heat on the fastball. A minute in, Mendes missed on his first takedown attempt, and Aldo continued to keep him at bay with his kicks and the threat of more, tossing aside any further attempts by the American to put him on his back. Finally, with a minute left, Mendes bulled Aldo to the fence and took his back while standing. An initial slam attempt by Mendes saw Aldo get a warning for holding the fence, with the second only seeing the champion hit the deck briefly. When Aldo did get free, he spun and caught Mendes with a perfect left knee to the head, dropping him to the canvas. A follow up right hand finished the job, with referee Mario Yamasaki halting the bout at 4:59 of the round, sending the crowd into a frenzy and Aldo running into the crowd, where he celebrated with his fans and his team before returning minutes later for the official particulars to be announced.“I knew he was going to go for my legs and I knew how to throw that knee,” said Aldo. “Thankfully, I was able to put it in the right spot.”With the win, Aldo ups his record to 21-1; Mendes falls to 11-1.

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UFC 142 Live Results and Play-by-Play for “Aldo vs. Mendes”

MMAFrenzy.com will have live results from Saturday’s “UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes” event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil starting at 7pm ET, including the UFC 142 main event between UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo and challenger Chad Mendes and co-headliner between Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson. MMAFrenzy.com’s live results will begin at 7pm ET with the UFC 142 preliminary card followed by live play-by-play for UFC 142′s pay-per-view main card at 10pm ET. Check out our live UFC 142 coverage below and stay tuned after the event for complete post-fight coverage. UFC 142 OFFICIAL RESULTS MAIN CARD Jose Aldo (c) vs. Chad Mendes UFC Featherweight Championship Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio Erick Silva vs. Carlo Prater Terry Etim vs. Edson Barboza PRELIMINARY CARD Sam Stout vs. Thiago Tavares Edinaldo Oliveira vs. Gabriel Gonzaga Yuri Alcantara vs. Michihiro Omigawa Mike Pyle vs. Ricardo Funch Felipe Arantes vs. Antonio Carvalho UFC 142 PLAY-BY-PLAY JOSE ALDO VS. CHAD MENDES VITOR BELFORT VS. ANTHONY JOHNSON ROUSIMAR PALHARES VS. MIKE MASSENZIO ERICK SILVA VS. CARLO PRATER TERRY ETIM VS. EDSON BARBOZA

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UFC 142 weigh-in photos gallery for 'Aldo vs Mendes' in Brazil

UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" is all set to pop off tomorrow night (Sat., Jan. 14, 2012) from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The pay-per-view (PPV) event features a featherweight fracas pitting division deity Jose Aldo defending his 145-pound strap against powerful wrestler, Chad Mendes. Also on tap is a middle catchweight battle that will see Vitor Belfort lock 'em up against a man who couldn't get any lower than 190-pounds and came in a whopping 11 pounds overweight, Anthony Johnson. And you know he's motivated because his job could very well be on the line. Check out the photo gallery from today's UFC 142 weigh in event (via UFC.com) after the jump. For complete UFC 142 weigh in results click here, for UFC 142 staredown pics click here, and for the UFC 142 weigh in video click here. Chad Mendes Vitor Belfort Anthony Johnson Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio Erick Silva vs. Carlo Prater Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim

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UFC 142 fight card: Jose Aldo vs Chad Mendes preview

The UFC featherweight title is on the line tomorrow night (January 14, 2011) as champion Jose Aldo takes on undefeated challenger Chad Mendes in the main event of UFC 142 in Rio. Jose Aldo is trying to break through to the casual MMA fans, but he's yet to put on a signature performance since joining up with the UFC. He's defended his title twice thus far against Mark Hominick and Kenny Florian, but he's looking to put on a show for the Brazilian faithful who are showing up in droves to see him compete. Chad Mendes not only is undefeated, but he's never even lost a round in his career. He dominated Sengoku star Michihiro Omigawa and then completely controlled Rani Yahya in his most recent two fights and he's hoping he can utilize his wrestling to grind the UFC featherweight title away from the champ. Will Aldo have his breakthrough moment he's so desperately craving? Will the extremely hostile crowd strike fear into Mendes and affect his performance? How does each man win this title fight tomorrow night? Let's find out: Jose Aldo Record: 20-1 overall, 2-0 in the UFC Key Wins: Kenny Florian (UFC 136), Mark Hominick (UFC 129), Urijah Faber (WEC 48) Key Losses: none How he got here: After making waves in Brazil, Aldo migrated to the WEC and immediately began wrecking the place. He tore through his first four WEC bouts with deadly striking and decided to cap it off by earning a title shot with an unbelievable eight second knockout of Cub Swanson at WEC 41. Believe it or not, the time of the knockout was the least impressive part of it. Aldo flew through the air and connected on poor Cub's chin with not one but two flying knees at once and finished the stunned Swanson off with quick ground and pound. The Brazilian made the most of his opportunity and manhandled then-champion Mike Brown, finishing the turtling titleholder with ground and pound from behind. His victory set up a WEC super-fight with the incredibly popolar former champion Urijah Faber at WEC 48. "Scarface" would work a different gameplan for that fight, massacring Faber's legs with sharp kicks until they turned into linguine and "The California Kid's" corner needed to carry him to his stool in between rounds. The champ retained his title one final time, viciously knocking out Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season five finalist Manny Gamburyan early in the second round. After the UFC/WEC merger, Aldo was handed the UFC featherweight title and got an opportunity to defend it against Mark Hominick this past April. The Brazilian won a hard-fought battle over the course of five rounds in a "Fight of the Night"-winning performance. He followed that up by outworking a persistent Kenny Florian for five more rounds to retain his title this past October. He gleefully accepted a bout with Chad Mendes on a quick turnaround in order to fight in his native Brazil for the first time in over four years. How he gets it done: Jose Aldo has a very diverse set of skills. He's got heavy hands and some of the nastiest leg kicks you will ever see. His background as a soccer player may be a factor in that. Look for Aldo to try to keep this fight standing and really go to work with his kicks, although he'll have to keep them low. He does a terrific job of closing off combinations with a leg kick. If he can connect a few times, it's going to slow Mendes down and take away a significant portion of his explosiveness and takedown ability. If Mendes begins to lose some of his lateral quickness, the champion could swoop in with a flying knee or some other devastating frontal attack. Aldo brought in Gray Maynard to help him gauge distance better against elite wrestlers like Mendes so expect him to be extremely wary of "Money's" takedowns. The featherweight champ already possesses some pretty strong wrestling defense, so every little bit he can boost it not only helps his confidence, but makes the rest of his game that much more dangerous. If taken down, Aldo needs to do whatever it takes to pop back to his feet as it's highly unlikely he'll be able to sweep Mendes or submit him off of his back. Aldo is such a terrific athlete that you could literally expect anything from him in this fight. At just 25 years old, he can definitely still be learning new tricks. Chad Mendes Record: 11-0 overall, 2-0 in the UFC Key Wins: Erik Koch (WEC 47), Michihiro Omigawa (UFC 126), Rani Yahya (UFC 133) Key Losses: none How he got here: Chad Mendes has been wrestling for a very long time. He was a two time All-American collegiate wrestler before teaming up with Urijah Faber at his Alpha Male gym in Sacramento. Just 14 months into his professional fighting career, "Money" Mendes was 5-0 and had earned an invite to compete in the WEC featherweight division. He made his debut against fellow prospect and current top contender Erik Koch, handing him the only professional loss of his career. He would fight three more times in 2010, defeating all opponents handily and progressing in his skill-set. Mendes made his UFC debut against Japanese star Michihiro Omigawa last February and handled the veteran with ease, out striking and definitely outwrestling him to win a dominant unanimous decision. He would forgo a title shot and proceeded to put up a strong showing against submission specialist Rani Yahya seven months later to again be crowned the number one contender for Jose Aldo's belt. He gets his shot tomorrow night in hostile territory. How he gets it done: The biggest key for Mendes is extremely obvious. He needs to take Aldo down with his wrestling and keep him there. If Aldo attempts a leg kick, Mendes needs to catch it and throw him to the canvas. If Aldo attempts a flying knee, Mendes needs to grab him in mid-air and slam him. If Aldo presses forward with a big combination, Mendes needs to duck down and shoot him into the ground with a takedown. All roads to Chad Mendes defeating Jose Aldo include putting the Brazilian on his back. He might be able to stand with the champ for a brief period, but he can't afford to let Nova Uniao fighter get comfortable and start throwing his most dangerous strikes or Mendes is going to be in trouble. Not only must the Team Alpha Male fighter put Aldo on his back, he has to keep him there. If Mendes can make the champ work off of his back and expend a significant amount of energy, he could tire him out. We saw how awful a tired Aldo can look in the fifth round of his fight with Mark Hominick at UFC 129. Mendes' goal should be to get Aldo that exhausted by round three. If he does, he could definitely be the new titleholder. Fight X-Factor: The biggest X-Factor for this fight is not just Jose Aldo's takedown defense, but it's his grappling endurance. We've heard stories of Aldo's terrific jiu-jitsu game, but it will it finally make an appearance tomorrow night? It certainly didn't look so great at UFC 129 when he took Mark Hominick down multiple times or when he spent nearly the entire fifth round on his back. It looked like, while he could strike with opponents for days, Aldo gets tired if he spends a significant amount of time grappling on the canvas. Will he gas out if Mendes makes him work for an extended amount of time on the ground? That's something which could clearly turn the tide of the fight. Bottom Line: I'd love to tell you that this fight will 100 percent be a barnburner, but I can't make empty promises. Jose Aldo is capable of being one of the most exciting fighters on the planet, but he hasn't delivered as of late. His most recent fight against Kenny Florian was a clinchfest of boredom and the challenger this time, Chad Mendes, has already stated his goal is to grind this fight out for five rounds. That's not exactly the recipe for entertainment. Unless Aldo can dominate with superior takedown defense and striking, there's a very real possibility this one could get ugly. Be prepared for both, but don't say I didn't warn you. Who will come out on top at UFC 142? Tell us your predictions in the comments below! Poll Who will walk away from the cage with the UFC featherweight title tomorrow night? Jose Aldo Chad Mendes 15 votes | Results

Posted in: ufc, fight, time, aldo, mende

UFC 142: An 'explosive and powerful' Chad Mendes likes to 'blast guys off their feet'

Stop me if you've heard this one before. A blonde-haired, American boy with a wrestling background and a glimmer in his eye, travels to the foreign country of Brazil, where he will take on a champion in front of his hometown friends and family. Our protagonist will be booed. He will be written off. People will lose "sig bets" because of him. If this sounds like the plot of the latest Disney sports-based movie, you're wrong. No, it's not a movie. Not yet, anyway. It's the backstory behind the main event for Saturday night's (Jan. 14, 2012) UFC 142 pay-per-view (PPV) card, LIVE from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as the Brazilian-born, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo defends his belt against American standout Chad Mendes. Earlier in the week, Mendes sat down with Pro MMA Radio's Larry Pepe to discuss his upcoming title bout, which will be fought in hostile territory: "Honestly, it hasn't hit me yet. I have been just treating it like any other fight. I'm sure when I get there and I'm coming out in the tunnel, there's gonna be some kind of nerves. There always is. Honestly, I think a little bit of nerves is good. It kinda keeps you on point. As far as the fight being in Brazil, the only thing that I was kinda hoping it'd be in the States was because I wanted a lot of my friends and family to be able to see the biggest fight of my life, the biggest fight of my career. I wanted everyone to be able to make it out and support me. It's expensive to get there (Brazil) and a lot of them aren't gonna be able to make it. That's pretty much the only reason why I wanted it to be in the states. I don't mind fighting in Brazil and in front of his home crowd. Honestly, I can't understand what they're saying anyway. Obviously I know I'm gonna get booed. But that's just gonna feed me anyway. But overall, I believe it's the best way to prove that I'm the best 145 pound fighter out there, by going to his backyard and taking the belt from him there. I'm pretty pumped about it." On April 24, 2010, Mendes' training partner and close personal friend, Urijah Faber, took on Jose Aldo at WEC 48 in Sacramento, California. The fight was fairly one-sided in favor of Aldo, due largely in part to a brutal bevy of legkicks that left "The California Kid" wobbling painfully out of the cage after the fight was over. Mendes talked about what he's been able to learn from Faber through that experience, as well the added motivation that loss brings "Money" as he looks forward to tomorrow night's match-up: "You know, it's helped me a lot. Urijah's gone in there and fought Aldo. He knows where he felt strong. The areas he felt not so strong. And we've kinda talked about it and gone over gameplans for this camp. We've figured out where he thinks I will do very well and areas I needed to work on. Overall, it was a huge advantage for me having Urijah, who's already fought him. And, you know, like I said, we have a great gameplan. I'm really excited to just get in there and do it. He's (Faber) like a brother to me and I don't like seeing my brother, or close friends, lose at anything, especially a fight against another guy. When I get in there and get that win, it'll feel awesome to get some revenge for Urijah." Many feel (and have voiced the opinion that) Mendes' wrestling will not be a factor, citing the fact that superior wrestling didn't help Faber, nor did it help Mike Brown when he received a vicious beatdown from Aldo at WEC 44 on Nov. 18, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mendes believes he's a different style wrestler than either of those two fighters. He's more explosive, and he believes it will be what makes the difference against Aldo: "Those two fighters are completely different style wrestlers than I am. Brown is the type of guy, he's big and strong. He basically likes to just bully guys into the cage and work for takedowns from there. Just like a slower pace takedown. Urijah doesn't really have an explosive double-leg (takedown) or anything like that. He'll just set up like a single-leg with his stand up. My style of wrestling is very explosive and powerful, to where I just blast guys off their feet. But I also have great stuff off the cage. That could be another area of this fight that I'm gonna do well in. Aldo doesn't like getting his back get put up against the cage, because he's so comfortable there, but if I'm doing damage, he's losing the fight." Are you Maniacs buying the hype behind this fight? Will it be able to deliver on the promise of being a classic match-up between a grappler and a striker? Or will Mendes fall by the way side, in much the same manner as those gone before him? Sound off!

Posted in: fight, aldo, mende, he, im

Chad Mendes: “We’re probably gonna end up fighting each other more than once.”

When Chad Mendes and Jose Aldo meet this weekend at UFC 142 in headlining action it will mark a bout between two guys in their mid-twenties who have a combined record of 31-1. As such, Mendes is fairly certain Saturday night won’t be the last time he sees the featherweight champion inside the Octagon although, if the undefeated wrestler has his way, it will certainly be under different circumstances in that he’ll be holding the belt. “If I do go out there and beat him, I think we’re both top level guys, so we’re probably gonna end up fighting each other more than once. It’s something that’s part of the sport and something we’ve got to do, but I’ve definitely been watching intently and I’m super pumped and ready for this fight,” said Mendes in an interview with the UFC’s website. “Honestly, this is the best cardio and conditioning shape I’ve ever been in, and I can almost even say throughout my wrestling career, so I feel great, I’m very confident coming into this fight and I’m ready to get in there and showcase it.” Aldo Feels Wrestling is on Point After time with Gray Maynard While many people may not be giving Mendes much credit based on his seemingly one-dimension style of attack, the Team Alpha Male athlete reassure critics that he is evolving as should be expected when a guy comes from such a storied background in one discipline. “You have to realize that there are going to be peaks and valleys, so you need to step back, look at what you’ve been doing wrong and just fix it,” Mendes explained. “Especially in the beginning, all I had was my wrestling, and I was going in there against guys that in wrestling I would demolish, but they’re submitting me in every single thing possible because I just didn’t know what I was doing. And it was really frustrating, and I started second-guessing a little bit, but then I stepped back, figured out what I was doing wrong, and like any other sport, you just practice it and get good at it.” “Nowadays, you’ve got to be good at everything,” he continued. “I know my wrestling is my strength and it’s what I’ve been doing since I was five, but a lot of the time you’ve got to train other things and you’ve got to get out of your comfort zone. Wrestling for me is my comfort zone, so a lot of times if I’m getting hit in the standup, I automatically take the guy down, where sometimes you’ve got to force yourself not to. But wrestling is my strength and my body has grown and adapted to that because it’s something I’ve done my entire life, so it’s always gonna be my strength and always something I’m gonna go to. But I think in this day and age you’ve got to be well-rounded.” Fans can catch Mendes’ attempt at taking the 20-1 Aldo’s belt when things unfold on PPV at 10:00 PM EST. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: guy, i ’m, ’m, ’ve, mende

Jose Aldo vs Chad Mendes staredown pic from UFC 142 weigh ins

The UFC 142 weigh in extravaganza took place earlier today (Jan. 13, 2012) at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in advance of the "Aldo vs. Mendes" pay-per-view (PPV) event taking place tomorrow night (Sat., Jan. 14, 2012) at the same location. 145-pound champion Jose Aldo will defend his featherweight crown in the main event of the evening in front of a partisan crowd against American strong-arm wrestler Chad Mendes. Anyone betting "Money" on Saturday night's headliner? "Junior" came in at exactly 145-pounds while Mendes was just shy of the mark at 144. A bunch of other people got weighed too, but you'll have to click here to see those results. Remember: MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC 142, beginning with the PPV telecast at 10 p.m. ET on Jan. 14. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action much earlier on fight night. It's going to be a fun night of fights so don't miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC 142 coverage you can handle. For the latest "Aldo vs. Mendes" news and notes check out our event archive right here. To see what happened to Anthony Johnson at the UFC 142 weigh ins click here.

Posted in: ufc, night, aldo, mende, featherweight crown

UFC RIO 142: Aldo Vs. Mendes Staff Predictions

Jose Aldo vs Chad MendesBrent Brookhouse: I think we’re due for Aldo to crush someone in the first round, but I’ll play it a bit more safely here. Mendes isn’t a finisher and Aldo is, which means that Mendes has to get takedown after takedown for five rounds. While he certainly has the wrestling credentials to do that, I think Aldo is actually going to prove a pain to get to the ground and after two rounds of tactially picking Mendes apart, he finishes him in the third. Jose Aldo by TKO, round 3.Leland Roling: Mendes isn’t invincible or without flaws despite many fans putting his NCAA credentials on a pedestal. Omigawa outlasted the onslaught and seemed to be wearing on Mendes by the third frame of their bout at UFC 126. An amazing feat considering Omigawa wielded no head movement and sloppy technical boxing. Aldo is a completely different animal, and bringing in bulky lightweight wrestler Gray Maynard to help him was a brilliant move. Aldo neutralizes Mendes, wears on him, and bombs on him late. Jose Aldo via TKO, Round 4.Matthew Roth: Honestly I’ve been a Mendes mark since the WEC days and always thought he was the guy to dethrone Jose Aldo. I’m sticking with that and saying he’ll be able to get Aldo down and keep him there for 25 minutes. Chad Mendes by Decision.Ben Thapa: Given Aldo’s vulnerabilities against Hominick and Florian, I think there is a very real chance for Mendes to bully Jose and take that belt. However, given the state of his striking skills, he probably has to do it for five rounds. That is a very long time to stifle Aldo’s offense and I’m assuming we get a more energetic Jose than the last two times out. Aldo, KO, Round 4.T.P. Grant: Chad Mendes is a fantastic wrestler, but his striking hasn’t developed like many fans hoped it would. On the feet Aldo has a clear advantage, but Aldo hasn’t looked the same since his surgery. In most other sports it takes athletes a season after a surgery to return their old self and I think we see the Aldo of the WEC. Jose Aldo by TKO, Round 2. Fraser Coffeen: There’s no doubt how each man approaches this fight (unless Mendes decides to go nuts and try his stand-up, in which case he gets lit up). So the question is, can Aldo avoid being grounded for 25 minutes? I think he can. His takedown defense is good, and though Mendes may get him down some, he won’t do anything with that position, allowing Aldo to beat him up on the feet. Still, I expect Aldo to be cautious again, so no firework KO finish. Jose Aldo by decisionTim Burke: I’ve never been all that impressed with Mendes. But he obviously has excellent wrestling and all that, and what he preaches about standup cardio being different than ground cardio actually makes sense. After seeing Aldo’s weight cut video for the Hominick fight, I’m always worried about how drained he might be in the cage if that happened again. I know Aldo went 5 with Florian no problem, but Mendes is a different animal and if Aldo doesn’t put him away early, you might be looking at a close 48-47 decision. I was going to Aldo by TKO, but the more I think about it, the more it doesn’t seem that likely. Aldo starts great and fades late. This is odd, but I’m going Jose Aldo by split decision.Dallas Winston: Not only is Mendes an incredible wrestler, but he’s freakishly quick and agile and I’ve been impressed with his strides in boxing. He was able to carefully avoid the dangerous guard-clutches of Javi Vazquez and has shown a solid chin and great cardio. Aldo has solid takedown defense and his low-range or flying knees will be a factor if Mendes telegraphs his shots in the slightest bit. A control-based strategy might incite a riot, but Mendes will sacrifice his status with Brazilian fans to snare the belt. Chad Mendes by decision.KJ Gould: Aldo’s understandably the favourite, but I think too many are sleeping on Mendes. If Aldo genuinely thinks Mendes is more of the same as Faber, he’s going to have a rough time and get beat up on the ground. I see this going the same as Sonnen vs Silva, only without the Hail Mary triangle choke to save the champion. Chad Mendes by Decision.Staff Picking Aldo: Leland, Brookhouse, Thapa, Grant, Fraser, TimStaff Picking Mendes: Roth, Gould, Dallas SBN coverage of UFC RIO 142: Aldo vs. MendesVitor Belfort vs Anthony JohnsonBrent Brookhouse: Belfort’s KO resurgance hasn’t exactly come at the expense of strong, dangerous strikers. Terry Martin isn’t exactly big and strong and he’s quite "knockoutable." Matt Lindland’s chin is far from granite these days. Rich Franklin is talented but not exactly someone Belfort had to worry about one-punching him in a firefight. And Yoshirhio Akiyama was massively undersized at 185. In Johnson, Belfort faces a guy who hits very hard, can muscle him around and can take the fight down if he really wants. This is a miserable fight for Belfort. Anthony Johnson by TKO, round 2.Leland Roling: I’ve had a tough time trying to figure out how this fight may go down. Reach and size are obvious factors, but Belfort’s style will undoubtedly involve slipping inside Johnson’s hammers and devastating his chin. Johnson’s best course of action? Dominate the clinch early and eliminate Belfort’s quick hands. If he does that, this should be cakewalk. Anthony Johnson via TKO, Round 2.Matthew Roth: Have you seen Johnson? Have you seen him? Dude is looking like a monster at this weight. I’m not sold on Belfort and never have been. I think Rumble has the skills to put an absolute hurting on an older Belfort. If he can’t win the stand up he’ll go to his wrestling. It’s not like Belfort has ever used his BJJ anyways. Anthony Johnson by TKO. Ben Thapa: Belfort is vastly better than Johnson on the ground, even with Belfort’s preference to use the ground game to feed into his strikes. I believe Rumble wants no part of a ground battle and will stand and deliver in a striking war. People (who are not Anderson Silva) that choose to stand early with Vitor lose. Vitor, KO, Round 1. T.P. Grant: I’ve been a big fan of Rumble since UFN 14 and I’ve picture him doing big things down the road, if he would move up to Middleweight. The move has been made and now he is free to actually weight train in the lead up to fights and he is in a shallower talent pool. Vitor is a stiff test, but I think his physical gifts are beginning to fade and Johnson is starting to hit his stride. Johnson’s jiu jitsu sucks, but I don’t think Vitor has the interest or the ability to take Rumble to the mat. Anthony Johnson by KO, Round 3. Fraser Coffeen: Screw all of you guys, I still believe! Vitor Belfort by KO, round 1Tim Burke: I’m very surprised people are putting so much stock into Anthony Johnson and his skills here. People were always hyped on him because of the KO’s, but he never really beat anyone highly-ranked at welterweight. And I don’t think the weight cut is an excuse for that. Vitor is, by far, the best opponent he’s ever faced. Johnson’s a slow-ish striker, and Vitor’s got very fast hands. Vitor’s better on the ground as well, if it goes there. This isn’t Pride Vitor, it’s UFC Vitor and he’s going to blow Crumble out of the water. Then people will discredit it because "he beat a welterweight, big deal". Vitor Belfort by TKO, round 1.KJ Gould: Johnson has power and youth on his side, Belfort has speed, accuracy and experience. It starts on the feed and Belfort is a fast finisher, so I have a feeling it won’t get a chance to go to the ground with Johnson wanting to stand and trade to begin with. Vitor Victorious in front of his home crowd. Vitor Belfort by KO, Round 1Dallas Winston: AJ is an extremely gifted wrestler and striker and it’s hard not to appreciate the momentum he debuted with. However, at the top level, I’m not quite sold on him yet, even though I think he has the right tools to get there. With Vitor, it’s either a nostalgic first-round flurry of death or a gradually fizzling disappointment. Johnson has to stay in phone-booth range and smother him on the feet or drown him with takedowns. I’m really not impressed with Vitor’s guard but his takedown defense is solid and his hands are blindingly fast. Vitor Belfort by KO.Staff Picking Belfort: Thapa, Fraser, Tim, Gould, DallasStaff Picking Johnson: Roth, Leland, Brookhouse, GrantRousimar Palhares vs Mike MassenzioBrent Brookhouse: I want to say this is a waste of everyone’s time, but it’s always fun to watch guys get leglocked. Rousimar Palhares by submission, round 1.Leland Roling: Palhares remains the quintessential power grappler, and he’ll make quick work of Massenzio’s already bad knee ligaments. Rousimar Palhares via heel hook, Round 1.Matthew Roth: Is anyone giving Massenzio a shot to win this fight? I’m really surprised they hate his ACL, MCL, and PCL so much as to match him up with Palhares. Rousimar Palhares by Submission. KJ Gould: There will be a bidding war for Mike Massenzio after this fight. Not by promoters, but by arthroscopic surgeons salivating at the work coming their way at the hands of a Palhares leg destruction. Massenzio’s getting uprooted by the ADCC Silver Medaling Tree Stump. Rousimar Palhares by submission, Round 1.Ben Thapa: I like Massenzio’s moxie in taking the short notice fight with Soszynski back in June. I also like his willingness to take a tough bout in the return to the octagon. However, I do not like his submission defense against a guy who has several different set-ups to leglocks and already has three-quarters of the division worried about their legs. The question to me is whether Palhares goes directly to the leglocks or if he spends some time showing off his striking and scrambling with Massenzio. I pick the latter. Palhares, submission, Round 2.T.P. Grant: My knee hurts just thinking about this. Rousimar Palhares by Submission, Round 1. Tim Burke: I’m a huge Toquinho fan, but I don’t think this is the blowout that everyone keeps mentioning. Massenzio is a black belt with decent hands and good wrestling. For all of his leg-ripping skills, Palhares still doesn’t have a great chin or great cardio. If it goes past the first round, things are looking up for Massenzio. Either way though, I’ll go the safe route and take Rousimar Palhares by submission, round 1.Dallas Winston: The medley of striking and boxing Massenzio showed against Cantwell marked a key evolution for him. I would give him a chance here because of his wrestling/sub-grappling combo and Palhares’ unpredictable nature but obvious intentions. Not enough of a chance though. Rousimar Palhares by submission.Staff Picking Palhares: Roth, Leland, Brookhouse, Thapa, Grant, Fraser, Tim, Gould, DallasStaff Picking Massenzio: Erick Silva vs Carlo PraterBrent Brookhouse: Silva is very good, Prater is a bit more dangerous here than people have acknowledged but it’s an appropriate step for Silva at this point. Erick Silva by decision.Leland Roling: This should be a showcase fight for Erick Silva. He’s definitely on the rise, and Anderson Silva already thinks he’s the future at welterweight. Hopefully we see some improvements in terms of conditioning and pace. Erick Silva via TKO, Round 2.Matthew Roth: Erick Silva is the future of 170. And shout out to my dawg Leland for recognizing it last year on the scouting report. Erick Silva by TKO.Ben Thapa: Roth, Yuri Villefort should have been the blazing star of 170 in 2011. Let us take a moment to reflect on the sadness that is severe knee injuries to young prospects. Prater’s win in Strikeforce back in February by anaconda was awesome enough for Kid Nate and KJ Gould to do a Judo Chop on it. Since then, Prater has picked up three more submission victories. Erick Silva has his work cut out for him if he’s to live up to the hype. I think he can do it, but it’s contingent on his ability to stay disciplined on the feet and keep Prater from bullying him to the ground early and often in each round. Silva, decision.T.P. Grant: I’d like to echo Roling, this is a showcase for Erick Silva. He is a fantastic prospect and is ticketed for the upper levels of Welterweight. Silva is going to win, and the UFC is going make sure as many people as possible can see it. Erick Silva via Submission, Round 2. Tim Burke: Silva showcase, just like they said above. Prater’s scrappy, but not a UFC-caliber fighter. I think Silva wins by sub, but all I want to really see is another awesome cage flip from him when he wins. Erick Silva by submission, round 2.KJ Gould: Neither guy sticks out to me that much. I’m having a hard time remembering either of these guys’ last fights. Vaguely remember Silva pleasing the crowd on the first Rio card, so I’ll assume he’s being given a winnable fight that sees his star continue to soar. Erik Silva by Submission.Dallas Winston: Another version of the under-dog having a legit chance -- especially with his complex ground game -- but not enough to capture my vote. Prater is highly experienced and creatively technical on the mat, but Silva is comparable on the ground (I think) and better standing. Erick Silva by TKO.Staff Picking Silva: Roth, Leland, Brookhouse, Thapa, Grant, Fraser, Tim, Gould, DallasStaff Picking Prater: Edson Barboza vs Terry EtimBrent Brookhouse: This card keeps feeling more and more like a lot of fights with matchups that benefit the Brazilians. Which makes sense in terms of return business. Etim is tough and skilled but Barboza is going to be able to control this fight reasonably well. Edson Barboza by decision.Leland Roling: Most fans see Etim has a one-dimensional submission specialist, but his long frame and powerful Muay Thai is a means to an end on the ground. The problem, however, is that Barboza is a highly-credentialed Muay Thai specialist who also happens to possess solid Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. That will wreak havoc on Etim’s strategy as I think he’ll lose the striking exchanges early and be forced to shoot for takedowns. Not his cup of tea. Edson Barboza via decision.Ben Thapa: Upset special! Swami Guru says that Terry Etim will employ some kind of magic to finish this fight by submission early. He cannot get any more specific because of the Heisenberg Principle. Etim, sub, Round 1.T.P. Grant: Barboza is on a tear of late and his energy is going to be through roof with a Rio crowd behind him. Etim is an excellent grappler, but he isn’t infallible on the ground and he has often been handed lesser fighters on European cards. I think Barboza punishes him on the feet and survives him on the ground. Edson Barboza via Decision. Fraser Coffeen: I’m with Ben again. Barboza just barely squeaked by Pearson, and I thought Pearson should have taken that decision, and Etim is comparable to Pearson standing. Difference is, Etim is a finisher. I think he gets the job done here. Terry Etim via submission, round 2Tim Burke: This is a much closer fight than the oddsmakers say (Etim’s floating around +225, but was +260 earlier in the week). I think Etim has a fair chance of submitting Barboza, but not enough to think he’s going to win over 50% of the time. Etim can strike, but not at the level of Barboza’s last two opponents. I think this will probably be fight of the night, but I’ve gotta go with Barboza. Edson Barboza by decision.KJ Gould: When’s the last time Etim fought? I’m sure Barboza has been active more recently, and more dominating. I think momentum is on his side, so if it doesn’t end early it’s going to be a really fun scrap that might be a surprise Fight of the Night candidate. Barboza by decision.Dallas Winston: I fully agree on the "Upset Alert" for Etim. He’s long and lanky like Barboza and a talented kickboxer, though not quite on the Brazilian’s level. I do think Etim’s Luta Livre background could open up takedowns and he’s a dual-threat in the clinch with strikes and subs. I’m playing it safe with Barboza with the disclaimer that Etim is probably the best bet on the card. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him submit Barboza or out-hustle him to a decision. Edson Barboza by decision.Staff Picking Barboza: Roth, Leland, Brookhouse, Grant, Brookhouse, Tim, Gould, DallasStaff Picking Etim: Thapa, FraserThiago Tavares vs Sam StoutBrent Brookhouse: I have been picking too Brazilian heavy here so we’ll go with Stout to pick up two rounds with striking from range. Sam Stout by decision.Leland Roling: Not sure where to go with this fight. Stout can falter against better technique on the feet, but his chin is made of granite and Tavares isn’t exactly a world-class striker. His game is more effective on the ground, and Stout isn’t easy to smother in Jiu-Jitsu. I’ll go with Stout, but it’s a toss-up in my mind. Sam Stout via decision.Ben Thapa: Tougher fight to pick than Barboza/Etim. Swami Guru left for lunch before I could pin him down on this. I hazard a guess that this ends up more like the Jeremy Stephens fight Stout had, with Tavares picking up the decision win. Tavares, decision.T.P. Grant: This is a tough fight to pick! Two lightweight scrappers getting in the cage, this is a sure thing action fight. I think the energy of the home crowd will make the difference. Thiago Tavares via Decision. Fraser Coffeen: Stout is not going to get KO’d, which means Tavares will need to outpoint him on the feet for at least 2 rounds. And I don’t see that happening. Barring some wacky Brazilian judging (which is a strong possibility) I go Stout here. Sam Stout via decisionTim Burke: Tavares isn’t going to keep this standing. He’s going to try and smother Stout and take him down quickly and often. Can he though? It seems that the betting segment of fights fans believe that he can, given all the late money on Tavares. Another thing to consider is that this is Stout’s first fight without Shawn Tompkins in his corner, and he has a lot riding on him after the way Hominick went out. Pressure sucks, but I think Sammy can live up to it. Sam Stout by decision.KJ Gould: Tavares used to be an up and comer at Lightweight everyone should have been keeping an eye on, but then his performances kind of fell apart against guys he had a decent chance at beating. Stout is a solid journeyman for the weight class, and has started living up to his Hands of Stone moniker. Tavares might initially start strong, but I think he wilts and the more experienced Stout shuts him down and takes a decision. Sam Stout by decision.Dallas Winston: I’ve never been a huge fan of Stout but think he takes this one handily. His kickboxing is oddly slow but technically stellar and he’s fended off better wrestlers than Tavares in the past. Tavares is quick as hell with electric scrambling but has paid the price for having sloppy stand up, which Stout should expose. Sam Stout by decision.Staff Picking Tavares: Roth, GrantStaff Picking Stout: Leland, Brookhouse, Fraser, Tim, Gould, DallasGabriel Gonzaga vs Edinaldo OliveiraBrent Brookhouse: Bright lights, big stage, old news for one of these guys. Gabriel Gonzaga by TKO, round 2.Leland Roling: Oliveira would have ranked at #1 on the 2012 World MMA Scouting Report. He is bar none the best heavyweight prospect in the talent pool, and Gabriel Gonzaga’s chin can’t withstand his attack on the feet. Edinaldo Oliveira via TKO.Ben Thapa: The most recent fight of I saw Squidward showed me a fighter with bad head movement. Gonzaga may not be the world beater his skill set makes him out to be, but the guy who nearly finished Schaub in the third round can batter Oliveira into unconsciousness. Gonzaga, KO, Round 1.T.P. Grant: MMA is a quickly evolving sport, and the heavyweight division feels change quicker than any other division. Gonzaga could win if he can get this fight to the mat and work his excellent grappling, but Oliveira brings serious artillery into the cage, and I don’t think Gonzaga will survive the barrage. Edinaldo Oliveira via KO, Round 1.Tim Burke: I doubt a brief retirement has changed the fact that Gabriel Gonzaga is too in love with his own striking to be a force any more. If he can’t batter and intimidate immediately, he crumbles. And he doesn’t take punches well. If he has somehow evolved to the point that he realizes he’s awesome on the ground and takes it there, it’s no contest. But my guess is that’s not gonna happen. And Oliveira will break him down and knock him out. Edinaldo Oliveira by TKO, round 2.KJ Gould: Gonzaga channels his inner-Blanka and goes full beast mode in Brazil. Which might mean he rolling somersaults into a dragon punch and gets himself KO’d. Oliveira may be on the up but who’s he beaten? Gonzaga has faced the better competition and is used to fighting in the UFC. Debuting for the UFC in Rio may be too much for Oliveira if we’re to believe Octagon jitters effects most people. I’ll stick with what I’m familiar with. Gonzaga by KO.Dallas Winston: I’m with Thapa here. What I’ve seen of Oliveira’s striking was rather clumsy and awkard boxing that hasn’t been tuned to the dynamics of MMA, especially in the realm of stance, footwork, defense and head movement. This should be Gonzaga’s fight to win as long as he employs his strengths and only strikes to set up takedowns. Gabriel Gonzaga by submission.Staff Picking Gonzaga: Thapa, Brookhouse, Fraser, Gould, DallasStaff Picking Oliveira: Roth, Leland, Grant, TimYuri Alcantara vs Michihiro OmigawaBrent Brookhouse: Put me down as a guy who has no faith in Omigawa here. Alcantara by decision.Leland Roling: Don’t let me down, Omigawa! Michihiro Omigawa via decision.Matthew Roth: At this point in time, can anyone honestly make the case that Michihiro Omigawa is still a top featherweight? Actually scratch that. Can anyone honestly say that Omigawa was ever a top featherweight? Though he’s got the skills to be competitive he just can’t put it together in the UFC. While Alcantara is more of a known-unknown, I’m rolling with him tomorrow. Alcantara, Decision.Ben Thapa: I have a feeling we see Alcantara display some dominant top control for two rounds. Omigawa got robbed against Elkins and rebounded against Young, but he’s not been as impressive as his hairline. Alcantara, decision.T.P. Grant: Omigawa has had rough go of it in the UFC thus far, but he is in fact a very good fighter. Alcantara is a solid WEC veteran, but due to injury he has fought once since 2010. I think Omigawa finally show cases his skills and gets a win. Michihiro Omigawa via decision. Tim Burke: Many will scoff at this, but I truly believe that Yuri Alcantara is the biggest sleeper in the featherweight division. I think he’s an excellent, aggressive fighter and Omigawa won’t be able to handle the onslaught. Alcantara might end up on his back at some point, but it’s not going to be enough for Omigawa to take two rounds. Sleeper beware (even though he’s the favorite)! Yuri Alcantara by decision.KJ Gould: Yeah … outside of Okami, you just can’t pick the Japanese guy in the UFC these days. Ever. Alcantara wins an ugly, one sided affair. Alcantara by Decision.Dallas Winston: Put me down as the guy who has no faith in Alcantara here. Peek-a-boo boxing + elite Judo + iron chin + vastly superior experience = Michihiro Omigawa by decision.Staff Picking Alcantara: Thapa, Brookhouse, Fraser, Tim, GouldStaff Picking Omigawa: Roth, Leland, Grant, DallasRicardo Funch vs Mike PyleBrent Brookhouse: Pyle eats guys like Funch for...dinner. Mike Pyle by TKO, round 1.Ben Thapa: Kudos to Funch for the late replacement. However, Pyle is probably going to work him on the ground. Pyle, KO, Round 2.T.P. Grant: To echo Ben, respect to Funch for taking this fight. I expect Pyle to take him down and get the win. Mike Pyle via DecisionTim Burke: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Mike Pyle is a superstar in the gym and an average fighter in the cage. Funch probably isn’t good enough to beat him, but I wouldn’t be shocked at all to see Pyle turn in a terrible performance and drop a decision. I’ll still go with the obvious though. Mike Pyle by dreary decision.KJ Gould: I don’t like the name Ricardo Funch. Just reading it in my head irritates me. Mike Pyle by decision.Dallas Winston: Funch actually exhibited shades of brilliance in shutting down the powerhouse takedowns of Johny Hendricks and thwacking him with short elbows. He’s a tall, game BJJ black belt with so-so striking, which is not unlike Pyle. Plus, "Pyle" isn’t the most flattering last name either, but his striking has been much sharper and I think he’s starting to put things together much better. Mike Pyle by decision.Staff Picking Funch: Staff Picking Pyle: Roth, Leland, Thapa, Grant, Brookhouse, Fraser, Tim, DallasFelipe Arantes vs Antonio CarvalhoBrent Brookhouse: Arantes is going to do something spectacular here. Arantes by KO, round 1.Leland Roling: Carvalho is a better striker, and he has enough acumen on the ground to neutralize Arantes’s attacks. Antonio Carvalho via decision.Ben Thapa: Arantes can be put down and held down for a time. Carvalho looks like he has the skills to do exactly that - and deal out damage too. Carvalho, KO, Round 3.T.P. Grant: Carvalho isn’t immune to damage and has been hurt in the past. Arantes certainly can KO guys and he will certainly have the crowd behind him and a KO win would bring huge energy. But I think the more likely outcome is a Carvalho win. Antonio Carvalho via decision. Tim Burke: Finally Pato gets his shot. Took long enough. Carvalho should comfortably take a decision here, because he’s better than Arantes in pretty much every area. Antonio Carvalho by decision.KJ Gould: Err … who are these guys? #flipacoin Carvalho by Decision.Dallas Winston: Carvalho was building up quite a reputation as a hot prospect when he started out 8-0 with a win over "Lion" Takeshi. He lost to Curran and then Lion (in the rematch) but also added wins over Rumina Sato and Hatsu f**king Hioki. Even though he hit the skids shortly after, he’s a decent kickboxer with good wrestling and an ace ground game. Antonio Carvalho by decision.Staff Picking Arantes: Roth, BrookhouseStaff Picking Carvalho: Leland, Thapa, Grant, Fraser, Tim, Gould, Dallas

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UFC 142 predictions, preview and analysis

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is heading south for the winter to bring mixed martial arts (MMA) fans the UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" pay-per-view event on Saturday night (Jan. 14, 2012) live from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC 142, beginning with the PPV telecast at 10 p.m. ET on Jan. 14. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action much earlier on fight night. Much of the hoopla surrounding tomorrow night's brouhaha is the featherweight title fight between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes. And by "hoopla," I mean the three or four people that actually remember we have a UFC event in just over 24 hours. Not a lot of buzz heading into Rio, but that doesn't necessarily mean we won't get a night of exciting fights. Chief among them is the 185-pound co-main event, which features former division contender Vitor Belfort going punch-for-punch with former welterweight Anthony Johnson, who probably got tired of cutting 80 pounds two hours before the weigh ins and decided to give middleweight a try. Will "The Phenom" make him regret it? There's a couple of other main card bouts worth dissecting and that, of course, is where I come in. Will the hometown boys make it a near-sweep like they did back at UFC 134? Let's find out. 145 lbs.: Jose Aldo (20-1) vs. Chad Mendes (11-0) Nostradumbass predicts: I was trying to think of a witty opening for this featherweight title fight, but it's just so black-and-white to me that I really can't do much with it other than state what I believe to be an irrefutable fact: Jose Aldo is getting steamrolled in tomorrow night's headliner. Let's face it, when you have a great takedown, you can do just about anything you want inside the cage. It's why guys like Georges St. Pierre and Cain Velasquez are so successful when they use it. And why they get KTFO when they don't. To that end, Chad Mendes has the kind of double-leg takedown that is so powerful and so effective, if he wants it, he gets it. Think about how strong and how powerful Mendes is, then remember that all he has to do is take 145-pounds (or whatever the rehydrated weight is) and drag it to the ground. When your physical conditioning is "Money," it's as easy as it gets. Let's not forget that Aldo has the perfect body type for the double. Tall, lanky and that leg kick he used so effectively against Urijah Faber? How many of those do you think he's going to rattle off before getting planted? The last place you want to be against a former NCAA Division I All-American and Pac-10 wrestler is on one leg. "Junior" is lighting fast and has the best stand-up in the division. In fact, he may be one of the best strikers in the entire sport. But that doesn't mean squat when you're on your back trying not to get your face caved in. Especially when you struggle to make the weight cut like Aldo does and tire in the championship rounds. Mendes? He'll cruise into UFC 142 fresh as a daisy. And he's going to put a clinic on the young Brazilian that will undoubtedly send the boo-birds into a chorus of groans. But no amount of collective hissing can stop the fact that Chad Mendes is leaving Rio as the new 145-pound champion. Prediction: Mendes def. Aldo via unanimous decision 185 lbs.: Vitor Belfort (20-9) vs. Anthony Johnson (10-3) Nostradumbass predicts: Having Anthony Johnson move to middleweight is a fantastic idea, because it injects new life into a division that, quite frankly, has begun to stagnate. Oh look, it's Michael Bisping and Chael Sonnen arguing over who loses to Anderson Silva next. Having a new person to "Rumble" with is great for the fans, which is why I wish they had paired him off with someone a little lower on the totem pole for his debut. Do I think Johnson has the chops to beat Belfort? No doubt. Unfortunately it's very difficult to pick a fighter in a weight class you've never seen them compete in. And without taking a digital dump on his resume, let's be honest, beating up Kevin Burns and Luigi Fioravanti isn't going to convince the jury you're a lethal weapon. Dan Hardy and Charlie Brenneman? Decent wins, but keep in mind Belfort is out there fighting guys like Dan Henderson, Anderson Silva and Alistair-freaking-Overeem. Kinda hard to overlook the experience factor. I also can't overlook Johnson's physical problems. He has a well-documented history of knee issues, severe enough to require surgery, and there was a dirty rumor that all the extra weight he wasn't accustomed to training with re-aggravated his fragile joint in recent weeks. In the end, there are just too many unanswered questions I have about Johnson to pick him. Belfort's proven he can hang with the best of them and he's also proven he's ridiculously fast with his hands. It wouldn't surprise me to see him put "Rumble" down early in the opening frame. Prediction: Belfort def. Johnson via technical knockout 185 lbs.: Rousimar Palhares (13-3) vs. Mike Massenzio (13-5) Nostradumbass predicts: Wow, who did Mike Massenzio piss off in the ZUFFA front office to get this match up? I mean seriously, this is like the one guy in the division nobody wants to fight. Aside from the submission, you just never know when he's gonna go off the deep end and try to murder somebody inside the cage. Hopefully Palhares remembers to take his pills on Saturday morning with breakfast, so that Mikey Mass only has one thing on his mind and that's the heel hook. All kidding aside, "Toquinho" will tear your fucking leg off unless the ref hits him over the head with an aluminum baseball bat. Massenzio's best chance to win is on the feet, but with only two (T)KO finishes in 13 wins I'm not sure that's likely. He's also just 2-3 in his last five fights and hasn't really made himself stand out from the pack in any of his recent performances. It's only a matter of time until this thing goes to the floor and when it does, that's a wrap. Palhares very rarely lets a submission get away because his upper body is so damn powerful. Just ask Dave Branch or Tomasz Drwal -- or that guy who walked out of Abu Dhabi on crutches. I suppose the best thing Massenzio can do is keep the Brazilian primate at bay by working the outside and hope he self-destructs, tries to call time out, or just inexplicably decides to declare himself the winner before the fight even ends. The bottom line is this: Palhares, 6-2 in the UFC, usually only loses if he goes mental. If he's focused, Massenzio is going to be in a lot of pain on Saturday night -- and beyond. Prediction: Palhares def. Massenzio via submission 170 lbs.: Carlo Prater (29-10-1) vs. Erick Silva (13-1) With reigning division champion Georges St. Pierre on the sidelines until further notice, the UFC welterweight division is undergoing a bit of restructuring, with special emphasis on the 170-pound up-and-comers like Rory MacDonald, expected to lead the charge into 2012 and beyond. Count Erick Silva among those people. The Brazilian phenom is one of the big names coming out of Brazil this year and if you've never seen him inside the Octagon, no one can really blame you. He only needed 40 seconds to stiffen Luis Ramos at UFC 134 last August. While "Indio" hasn't beaten any household names, he's done just about everything else, including his mockery of the Jungle Fight competition in his 2010 fight campaign. I think this is going to be a quick night for him. While Prater is a wily veteran with a ton of experience, he's taking this bout on extremely short notice. I like that he was active in 2011, winning four straight fights, but inconsistency has plagued him over the course of his career. When a fighter has amassed a 40-fight resume like "Neo" has, you can get a pretty good sense of where they're headed. For Prater, it's straight to the locker room. Prediction: Silva def. Prater via unanimous decision 155 lbs.: Edson Barboza (9-0) vs. Terry Etim (15-3) You're probably looking at "Fight of the Night" in this one. Terry Etim is a gamer and his 12 submissions in 15 wins can be a bit deceiving, because this kid can strike, too. Better than Barboza? Maybe not, but good enough to keep him in the game. The problem is the Brazilian is just too fast and incredibly fluid in the stand-up, usually beating the snot out of people with his dreaded leg kicks. If Etim can grab a hold of one and wrestle his foe to the ground, things could get interesting. Both competitors were mopping the floor with the regional talent prior to coming to the UFC and a win here could do a lot to further advance them up the 155-pound ladder. I have Barboza better on the feet and Etim better on the ground, but without the kind of high-level wrestling that you need to get it south, I have to to give the contest, and ultimately the decision, to Barboza. Prediction: Barboza def. Etim via unanimous decision That's a wrap, folks. For previews and predictions on the preliminary card fights click here and here. To see all the odds and betting lines for UFC 142 click here and remember to come check us out after the show for all the latest results, recaps and coverage of "Aldo vs. Mendes." What do you think? Now it's your turn ... let us have it in the comments section and share your thoughts and picks for tomorrow night's event.

Posted in: ufc, fight, night, mende, he

UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes | The Face-Off

HeavyMMA writers Duane Finley and Nate Lawson have a score to settle, and they'll do it by debating the UFC 142 main event between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes.

Posted in: ufc, jose aldo, aldo, mende, nate lawson

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

UFC 142 Aldo vs. Mendes weigh-in results and preview videos

UFC 142 Aldo vs. Mendes weigh-in resultsRio de Janeiro, BrazilJose Aldo vs. Chad MendesVitor Belfort vs. Anthony JohnsonMike Massenzio vs. Rousimar PalharesCarlo Prater vs. Erick SilvaEdson Barboza vs. Terry EtimSam Stout vs. Thiago TavaresGabriel Gonzaga vs. Ednaldo OliveiraYuri Alcantara vs. Michihiro OmigawaRicardo Funch vs. Mike PyleFelipe Arantes vs. Antonio CarvalhoThe UFC 142 weigh-ins take place at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. The first fighter will step on the scale at 4:00 PM EST (1:00 PM PST). Jose Aldo (20-1) vs. Chad Mendes (11-0)Vitor Belfort (20-9) vs. Anthony Johnson (10-3)

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UFC 142 weigh in video results LIVE from Rio for 'Aldo vs Mendes'

The official weigh in event for UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" is set to take place today (Jan. 13, 2012) LIVE from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 4 p.m. ET. As usual, MMAmania.com will provide up-to-the-second coverage of the UFC 142 weigh-ins, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude. "Aldo vs. Mendes" will be headlined by featherweight champion Jose Aldo, defending his 145-pound title against undefeated wrestler Chad Mendes. In addition, Vitor Belfort will strap on the gloves to try and ruin Anthony Johnson's debut at middleweight. Complete UFC 142 weigh in results and live video stream after the jump: Main event: 145 lbs.: Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes Main card (pay-per-view): 185 lbs.: Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson 185 lbs.: Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio170 lbs.: Carlo Prater vs. Erick Silva155 lbs.: Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim Preliminary card (FX Channel): 155 lbs.: Thiago Tavares vs. Sam Stout265 lbs.: Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Ednaldo Oliveira145 lbs.: Michihiro Omigawa vs. Yuri Alcantara 170 lbs.: Ricardo Funch vs. Mike Pyle Preliminary card (Facebook): 145 lbs.: Felipe Arantes vs. Antonio Carvalho MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC 142, beginning with the PPV telecast at 10 p.m. ET on Jan. 14. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action much earlier on fight night. It's going to be a fun night of fights so don't miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC 142 coverage you can handle. For the latest "Aldo vs. Mendes" news and notes check out our event archive right here.

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UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes LowKick.com Staff Main Event Predictions

UFC Featherweight Title: Jose Aldo (C) vs. Chad MendesStaff Picks: Aldo - 3, Mendes - 4Community Top Pick: Aldo via TKO in Round 5 Joey Santosus: In terms of overall ability, there's no question who, between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes, the more well-rounded fighter is. In 20 professional victories, over half of Aldo's opponents have met their demise at the end of one of his limbs, and though we've yet to see it utilized, the champ sports a BJJ black-belt. Mendes, on the other hand, has went the distance in

Posted in: aldo, chad mendes, mende, champ sports, aldos opponents

Mendes: I’ve Been Training for Title Shot My Entire Life

Chad Mendes has been training for most of his life.

Posted in: title shot, life, shot, training, mende

Read the full article at Sherdog

Payday is Here for Chad "Money" Mendes

If the next man challenging for Jose Aldo’s UFC featherweight title - Chad Mendes – looks like he’s having the time of his life, he is. It wasn’t always that way for the California native though.Back when he was dominating the Pac-10 wrestling scene as a member of the Cal-Poly squad, there was little time to smell the proverbial roses or take a breath to enjoy the ride. Sure, Mendes won two Pac-10 titles, was a two-time All-American, and was one victory away from a national title in 2008, but when it was over, it was almost as if he was so obsessed that he couldn’t even remember what had happened, let alone enjoy it.“I remember through high school, and even a lot through college, I had that tunnel vision, and looking back on it, I’m like ‘it went by so fast,’” Mendes recalled. “And all I thought about was that, and I never really took the time to step back and look back at my accomplishments and give myself a pat on the back. It was just go, go, go, go.” So when he decided to take his talents to the world of mixed martial arts, obviously a world title was the goal, but in the process, he was going to savor every moment of his second athletic life.“I kinda took the tunnel vision from going through wrestling, and looking back on it and seeing how it was then, I told myself when I got into this that this is gonna be something that’s fun,” he said. “I can’t do this my entire life. I probably have a good ten year run at this, and I’m gonna do everything I can to get as good as I can and do my best, and soak it in and enjoy every minute of it. And I think that’s what I’ve been doing, and it’s been awesome.”It’s also been a ride few could have predicted. Yes, Mendes was an ultra-talented wrestler, but to go from Square One to a world title shot this Saturday in the main event of UFC 142 in Rio de Janeiro in less than four years as a pro is nothing short of astounding. It’s even taken Mendes aback at times when he thinks about it.“A little over three years ago, I was still in college and watching (teammate) Urijah (Faber) do his thing and I just kinda looked at it and said ‘man, this is something I feel like I can be good at and I want to get into it and try,’” he said. “It’s been a fast ride to where I’m at now, and it’s been great and a wonderful experience. I’ve got to travel all over and meet a lot of people and get to fight in front of a bunch of fans and it’s been great. It’s crazy to think that in a little over three years that I’m fighting for the world title in a main event for the UFC. So stepping back and looking at that is definitely a huge accomplishment for me.”Beating the seemingly unstoppable Aldo would be even bigger, and even though the 26-year old Mendes has a year on the 25-year old champion in terms of age, when it comes to experience, the Brazilian has been fighting professionally since “Money” was a freshman in college. If that doesn’t put Mendes’ rapid rise into perspective, nothing will. But he’s here for a reason, with an 11-0 record and the unquestioned number one contender’s spot. That’s not to say there weren’t difficult times when the idea of mixing striking and jiu-jitsu in with his wrestling was just overwhelming.“You have to realize that there are going to be peaks and valleys, so you need to step back, look at what you’ve been doing wrong and just fix it,” said Mendes. “Especially in the beginning, all I had was my wrestling, and I was going in there against guys that in wrestling I would demolish, but they’re submitting me in every single thing possible because I just didn’t know what I was doing. And it was really frustrating, and I started second-guessing a little bit, but then I stepped back, figured out what I was doing wrong, and like any other sport, you just practice it and get good at it.”And in a fight sport, you get better by fighting, and Mendes has yet to disappoint. Turning pro in 2008, Mendes won his first five bouts before getting called to the WEC in 2010. There, he turned back Erik Koch, Anthony Morrison, Cub Swanson, and Javier Vazquez, making it evident that he was one of the top 145-pounders in the world by the time he made his UFC debut in 2011, beating Michihiro Omigawa and Rani Yahya in his two outings last year. So what’s the secret? Perhaps it’s just staying true to his roots and not trying to show off the new wrinkles in his game every time out, while still adding weapons to his arsenal that he will pull out if necessary.“Nowadays, you’ve got to be good at everything,” he said. “I know my wrestling is my strength and it’s what I’ve been doing since I was five, but a lot of the time you’ve got to train other things and you’ve got to get out of your comfort zone. Wrestling for me is my comfort zone, so a lot of times if I’m getting hit in the standup, I automatically take the guy down, where sometimes you’ve got to force yourself not to. But wrestling is my strength and my body has grown and adapted to that because it’s something I’ve done my entire life, so it’s always gonna be my strength and always something I’m gonna go to. But I think in this day and age you’ve got to be well-rounded. Sometimes it’s hard because you get in that mindset where I think wrestling feels so fun right now that it’s all I want to do. But I know that boxing or kickboxing is something I’m not as good at, so I’ve got to train that. Sometimes you’ve got to put the stuff that you’re almost craving to do on the backburner to learn the other stuff.”Against Aldo, he’ll need to adjust at a second’s notice if necessary, but that shouldn’t be an issue for him, especially since the champion has been on his radar for over a year. There’s even been so much talk about the two fighting that it could almost be at the point where Mendes never wants to hear the name Jose Aldo after Saturday night. Mendes laughs.“I honestly don’t think it’s gonna be anything like that anytime soon. If I do go out there and beat him, I think we’re both top level guys, so we’re probably gonna end up fighting each other more than once. It’s something that’s part of the sport and something we’ve got to do, but I’ve definitely been watching intently and I’m super pumped and ready for this fight. Honestly, this is the best cardio and conditioning shape I’ve ever been in, and I can almost even say throughout my wrestling career, so I feel great, I’m very confident coming into this fight and I’m ready to get in there and showcase it.”It almost sounds like he’s got that wrestling tunnel vision back, but even with all his focus solely on Aldo, he has let a little light in when it comes to thinking about getting a championship belt around his waist.“That is something I definitely think about every day, while I’m working out, while I’m watching my weight, and while I’m craving something that I can’t have,” said Mendes. “I just think about that and it makes it all go away. It’s something that’s super motivating for me, and I just can’t wait to hear ‘and NEW.’ I’m pumped.”

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Betting on UFC142

For those of you that bet on UFC, what are your thoughts for 142? I use bodog for my bets, and have been decently successful, usually putting money into 3-4 fight parlays, or underdogs inside decision (sung jung, hendricks etc). Im also still working on a 3 fight parlay of overeem, aldo and sonnen. the prop bets aren't out yet, so just talk about the fights straight up. I'm thinking of taking a 4 fight parlay of Aldo, Phalhares, Etim and Vitor which gives a 8.8:1. Although I'm not too confident about vitor, and phalhares is only at 1.17. from everything i've seen from phalhares, hes just a beast, really really good ground game, but also has enough power to stand. messenzio lost to brian stann by submission, who is nowhere near the level phalhares is on. also lost to krystinzky or whatever. Seems like a sure bet, but the odds aren't there to make the bet straight up. I feel like Etim at 3.25 is a decent choice for an underdog. Etim has something like 12 subs, in his 15 wins, only 1 decision. Has some crazy hard leg/head kicks and not really afraid to stand. Not to take away from undefeated barboza, where most of his wins come from KO. I like Etim for the odds here, I feel like he has a better chance than the oddmakers think. One almost sure bet is that this fight wont go to decision. When vitor/rumble was first announced, Vitor was a favourite, but now has slid to a slight underdog, and Im trying to figure out why. i feel vitor has better stand up and is a BJJ black belt. Rumble has better wrestling, but never really faced a middleweight. I think the extra 15lbs, well give rumble better cardio, but also make him slower. Rumble wont have the luxury of being a tank compared to other 170s. Also they are fighting in brazil, but that might not mean anything. Aldo vs mendes, I think they are giving mendes a slight chance because of his undefeated record, but I think mendes and faber are almost the same fighter, but would say faber has more experience and aldo destroyed faber. Even if mendes does manage to take aldo down, he has to keep him there AND worry about being submitted as aldo is also a BJJ black belt. Cant really see mendes winning this, so I would take aldo for the extra odds. submitted by Electricute [link] [16 comments]

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Mendes knows he'll be the foe in Rio (Yahoo! Sports)

Chad Mendes faces a task Saturday night that would daunt most. But he's ready for Jose Aldo in Rio.

Posted in: rio, jose, jose aldo, mende, task

Read the full article at Yahoo! Sports

Jose Aldo: “I’m going for the knockout or a submission.”

Jose Aldo will have the weight of a country on his shoulders this Saturday night when he defends his UFC featherweight title against Chad Mendes. That’s because the bout will take place in Aldo’s native country of Brazil inside the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro at UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes. Along with being one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world, “Scarface” is also looked upon as the possible heir apparent to Anderson Silva’s title as Brazil’s best. With a win over Mendes, Aldo may just stake that claim. “After I knock him out at home, the fans will go crazy with happiness,” said Aldo in a special video from the UFC promoting the show. “I’m going for the knockout or a submission. I want to leave a good impression. I will defeat Chad Mendes, especially at home.” Mendes, who is undefeated in his pro MMA career and widely-regarded as one of the elite featherweights in the world, believes he can take the approach of a movie character into this fight: Rocky Balboa, the slugging boxer who won over the hearts of everyone in his title fight with Apollo Creed. “I’m looking at this kind of like a Rocky story. I’m going to go in there and fight the champion in his back yard and take it from him,” Mendes said. “I’m going into Brazil and I’m going to take that belt. I’m going to become the next featherweight champion of the world.” Check out the video below, highlighting past fights involving both Aldo and Mendes: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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UFC 142 press conference full video for 'Aldo vs Mendes' in Rio

Ultimate Fighting Championship held a public pre-fight press conference earlier today (Jan. 12, 2012) in advance of the UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" pay-per-view (PPV) event, which takes place this Saturday night (Jan. 14) at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. For our live blog of today's festivities, click here. Today's presser went down from the Copacabana Palace Hotel in Rio, featuring the headlining fighters of the evening, including reigning UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo and division number one contender Chad Mendes (main event), along with middleweight contenders Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson (co-main). So, what did everyone talk about? Here's a snip from "Money" Mendes: "I come into every fight knowing that I'm going to win in my hard. Coming into this fight, there isn't any thought that goes through my mind that I might lose. I feel prepared. I know Jose is the champion but I know I'm right there behind him and I'm going to come after it. On Saturday, I'm going to show the world that I'm the best." Hear more from the rest of the crew in the UFC 142 press conference full video, after the jump. Remember: MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC 142, beginning with the PPV telecast at on Jan. 14. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action much earlier on fight night. To get up to speed on all the news and notes for UFC 142 check out our extensive event archive right here.

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UFC 142: Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes by the numbers

The main event at this weekend’s UFC 142 will feature a Featherweight title fight as its main event. Champion Jose Aldo will put his belt on the line in his homeland of Brazil as he faces the unbeaten Chad Mendes. Let’s take a minute to look at the numbers surrounding the upcoming scrap. Numbers provided by CompuStrike. Aldo’s CompuStrike numbers are based on 10 fight average, while Mendes’ numbers are based on a six fight average. Aldo is the more active striker of the two,

Posted in: fight, number, aldo, mende, scrap numbers

When It Comes to Chad Mendes and Jose Aldo, Outside Opinions Make Tempers Flare

Filed under: UFC, NewsThis is how easy these things start in the fight business. These minor beefs. These subtle slights that fighters carry with them like childhood insults that are still fresh in their minds decades later. Once I started talking to the various parties involved in the UFC 142 main event for a Sports Illustrated article this week, I heard about it from all of them. Once they start, these things take on a life of their own. How this story starts is, Gray Maynard gets to know Jose Aldo at UFC 136 and they get to talking. Maynard likes him. More than he expected to, really, since it turns out "he's actually a really humble guy." Since Maynard has already left his longtime home at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas by this point, he figures maybe it's time to do some traveling, learn some new stuff. Spending the winter in Brazil (where it's summer) working out with Aldo and the Nova Unaio team sounds fun, right? "So I contacted [Aldo's manager] Ed Soares, just kind of threw it out there," Maynard said. "I didn't know if they'd take me up on it, but a couple days later [Soares] called me back and said he'd love to have me down there. A couple days later I was on a flight, basically put everything on hold and flew down there." So far, so good. But as long as he was going to be helping Aldo prepare for fellow wrestler Chad Mendes, Maynard figured he might as well take a look at some fight footage of Mendes on his long flight to South America. Here's where it gets tricky. "The first time I trained with Jose, I told the guy, 'Hey, on the flight down here the tapes I watched [on Mendes], you seem a little more comfortable in the Octagon. I don't know if he's quite ready,'" Maynard said. "It's not a knock on him. He's the top guy to [challenge for the title]. It's just that Jose's on top of his game." More Coverage: UFC 142 Fight Card | UFC 142 Results It was a sincere opinion, Maynard said, so when people asked him what he thought of the upcoming fight, that's what he told them: Mendes isn't ready. Not surprisingly, this didn't please Mendes when he heard it. "Honestly, I don't know why Gray's even talking about me," he said. "Gray's never trained with me. He has no idea what I feel like in there. Obviously, he's training with Jose, so if he gets asked that question I guess that's what he thinks he's got to say, but honestly, Gray's style of wrestling is completely different from mine. I'm more of an explosive, blast you off your feet kind of wrestler. He's more like a bully that just gets you up against the cage and works takedowns and slams from there." Mendes' training partner and mentor, Urijah Faber, was even more direct. "Since when are the two best guys in the weight class not ready to fight each other? That's an absurd thing to say. But whatever. Who cares what [Maynard] thinks? Chad's going to go in there and fight and win." But now that Maynard's taken some heat from the Team Alpha Male crew for his comments, he's not at all ready to back away from them. If anything, he's only more committed to his original assessment, he said, because now he knows just how good Aldo is. "From watching the tapes, that's how I felt, that [Mendes] wasn't ready. But actually training with Jose, I feel it even more now," Maynard said. "For me, helping out Jose doesn't mean I want Chad to lose or I came here to make that happen. It's just a matter of helping out Jose, and now that I've been here, that's what I think is going to happen. I only know Chad a little bit, and I think he's a tough kid, but Jose is really tough. I couldn't believe it. I was seriously impressed. ...I knew he could strike. I knew that. What I didn't know is, man, he's tough to take down. And the kind of athlete he is, the way he applies that, it's amazing. He can take a punch, too." But as fight night approaches, these outside opinions tend to diminish in importance. Soon enough it'll be just Mendes and Aldo in the cage, and then it won't matter what anyone else says. When it gets to that point, however, Mendes has something that Aldo doesn't, which is the benefit of a former opponent's experience. Faber went five brutal rounds with Aldo, and learned some hard lessons that he's passed on to his protege, he said. For instance, there's the issue of Aldo's leg kicks. "The one thing I didn't take into account was, I knew the leg kicks were going to hurt, but I didn't know how disarming they would be," Faber said. "As far as leg kicks in practice, when your legs gets kicked a couple times and it starts to hurt, you don't keep wanting to get kicked in it all day. You heal it up and put ice on it so you can train the next day. But in a fight like that, you have to know that kicks like that will do damage and you have to honor that. You can't just tell yourself that you're going to take the pain and do what you want to do. You have to avoid them and make him pay when he tries it." Aldo shredded Faber's thighs with kicks early on, effectively taking away Faber's ability to shoot for a takedown in the later rounds. He took criticism for it after the fight, but even Mendes can't say it was unwarranted. "That's something even Urijah talked about," he said. "He doesn't have that explosive shot the way I do. A lot of his takedowns come off of punches, using that snap single-leg or something. Aldo took that away from him with those leg kicks, and by that point it was too late." And that -- the fact that not all wrestlers and/or wrestling styles are created equal -- is why Mendes doesn't worry about Maynard's assessment of him or Maynard's training with Aldo, he said. There are wrestlers and then there are wrestlers, and just because you've seen one in the gym doesn't mean you know what it's like to fight another in the cage on Saturday night. "We don't know how much [Maynard's work with Aldo] is going to help him, but we'll get in there and see," Mendes said. "It doesn't matter to me. I've been wrestling since I was five years old, and I've never taken a year off. It's something I've done my whole life. For him to bring a wrestler in to work with for one camp, his wrestling's not going to be anywhere near mine." With Mendes' predictions, just as with Maynard's and Faber's, we'll know soon enough who had it right. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes, Johnson vs. Belfort Open Workouts

UFC 142 headliners Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes, Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson participated in an open workouts session ahead of this weekend's stacked fight card in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event is headlined by Jose Aldo's third UFC Featherweight title defense against Chad "Money" Mendes, while Vitor Belfort welcomes Anthony Johnson to the UFC Middleweight division in the co-main event of the night. Rest of the main card features high profile bouts such as Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio, and Edson

Posted in: ufc, anthony johnson, belfort, aldo, mende

UFC 142 press conference LIVE updates today (Jan. 12) for 'Aldo vs Mendes' in Rio

Ultimate Fighting Championship will hold a public press conference today (Jan. 12, 2011) in advance of UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes," which will take place this Saturday (Jan. 14, 2011). The conference call will begin at 10 a.m. ET and will take place at the Copacabana Palace Hotel in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the home city of the event. Scheduled to attend will be the headlining fighters of the evening, Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes, Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson. Aldo is the current UFC featherweight champion. The rising Brazilian star defended his title twice in 2011 with unanimous decision victories over Kenny Florian and Mark Hominick. He's hoping to ring in the New Year with his first UFC finish. His opponent, Chad Mendes, is undefeated and finally feels he's ready for his moment to shine. "Money" Mendes has had his way with everyone put in his path, from Michihiro Omigawa, RanI Yahya to fellow top contender Erik Koch. The Team Alpha Male fighter is hoping his wrestling will help him win the title. Vitor Belfort is coming off an emphatic first round knockout of the hardheaded Yoshihiro Akiyama. He came up short in 2011 in his UFC middleweight title bid, and he's hoping a victory here, plus one over fellow Ultimate Fighter Brazil coach Wanderlei Silva will give him one more shot. Belfort's opponent, Anthony Johnson, is making the move to middleweight at least for now. Long heralded as the largest welterweight on the UFC roster who cut the most weight, "Rumble" will actually be two inches taller than Belfort with a four inch reach advantage. He's riding a two fight winning streak and could become a contender in either division with a victory. We'll have complete updates of the UFC 142 press conference after the jump: Brian Hemminger here, the conference is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. ET.

Posted in: ufc, conference, belfort, aldo, mende

Chad Mendes, Anthony Johnson Say Reception Has Been Warm at UFC 142

Filed under: UFC, NewsThe UFC 142 fight card is designed to get the fans in Rio de Janeiro worked up to support the local guys, with eight fights featuring Brazilians against foreigners, including local fan favorites taking on American challengers in the main event and co-main event. But those two Americans, Chad Mendes and Anthony Johnson, said on Thursday morning at the pre-fight press conference in Rio that they've had purely positive experiences from the Brazilian fans they've met, and they're being treated more like guests than rivals. "Brazil has just been great," Johnson said. "The fans have been great. I'm speechless, really, about this country. I had heard good stories and bad stories about this country but so far all I've experienced is great things, so thank you, Brazil." Mendes described the open workout on Wednesday in front of Brazilian fans on a Rio beach as one of the best experiences of his life, and he said that while he knows his opponent, UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, will have a lot of fans in the HSBC Arena, he doesn't worry about what the fans might say. More Coverage: UFC 142 Fight Card | UFC 142 Results "I'm probably going to get booed," Mendes said. "It's here in Jose's backyard and he's the champion. But other than boos, I can't speak Portugeuse so I can't understand what anyone's saying anyway. I'm going to be in the zone and ready to get in there and do what I do." Mendes said being away from home hasn't diminished his confidence. "I feel great," Mendes said. "I'm basically treating this like it's any other fight, whether it's in Brazil or it's in the United States. I have tunnel vision, I have that goal of winning that belt. That's something I've trained for and it's all I'm thinking about." And Johnson said he views the opportunity to step into the Octagon with Belfort as a big step in his career. "I'm looking forward to the fight," Johnson said. "I can't wait. I definitely can't wait." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes Weigh-In Video and Results (Friday, 4PM EST)

UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes participants will step on the scales at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as part of the official weigh-in procedure for this Saturday's stacked fight card. The event is headlined by Jose Aldo's UFC Featherweight title defense against the Team Alpha Male product Chad "Money" Mendes, while Vitor Belort welcomes Anthony "Rumble" Johnson to the UFC Middleweight division. Also on the card, Edson Barboza goes to war against Terry Etim, Rousimar Palhares fights Mike Massenzio,

Posted in: ufc, fight card, aldo, mende, vitor belort

Jose Aldo vs Chad Mendes fight video preview for UFC 142 main event on Jan. 14 in Brazil

This Sat., Jan. 14, 2012, UFC 142 invades the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with the "Aldo vs. Mendes" fight card headlined by Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo defending his strap against powerful wrestler Chad Mendes. The challenger says he's going to use his skills to become the next 145-pound king: "I'm looking at this kind of like a Rocky story. I'm going to go in there and fight the champion in his back yard and take it from him. He's never fought anybody with the athleticism, the strength and the wrestling background that I have. It's going to be tough for him to throw any type of submission when I'm punching him in the face. If my right hand hits him on the chin, he's going to go to sleep. I'm going to go into Brazil and I'm going to take that belt. I'm going to become the next featherweight champion of the world." "Scarface" feels he has the edge and isn't worried about Mendes' power. Aldo plans on sending his native fans home happy: "After I knock him out at home, the fans will go crazy with happiness. Chad Mendes is a tough fighter, he's a wrestler. But I have the advantage when standing. I'm not worried about Chad's power and strength. I'm going for a knockout or a submission. I want to leave a good impression. I will defeat Chad Mendes, especially at home." Just a few days away from fight night, Maniacs. Who ya' got?

Posted in: fight, aldo, chad, mende, im

UFC 142 ‘Aldo vs. Mendes’ Main Event Preview

Jose Aldo puts his UFC featherweight title up for grabs against Chad Mendes this Saturday, Jan. 14, at UFC 142.

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Behind the UFC 142 numbers: Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes fight complete statistical breakdown

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo will make his third consecutive title defense for the promotion when he takes on Team Alpha Male wrestling afficianado, Chad Mendes, at UFC 142 LIVE from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Jan. 14, 2012. Aldo will bring a sizable home court advantage into the Octagon with him as he fights in front of what will certainly end up being a multitude of friends, family and fellow countrymen. "Scarface" enters the fight as a -265 betting odds favorite (see a complete UFC 142 betting breakdown here). Like many who have gone before him, Mendes is not being picked to win by an overwhelming majority. Styles make fights, and this particular match up features two very different backgrounds and disciplines. After the jump, I'll talk about the statistical variances that should give some better insight into the UFC 142 headline bout between Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes. Check it out: We'd love to sit down and watch fight tape on all the big UFC fighters who will compete in each upcoming pay-per-view (PPV) event. However, we don't have to because the statistical savants at CompuStrike are always willing to put in the hours and the dig up the data. This event is no different. The numbers collected have been based on 10 fight averages for Jose Aldo and six fight averages for Chad Mendes. First, let's kick things off with a look at the striking game: Total Strikes: Aldo -- 56 of 102Mendes -- 51 of 88Percentage: Aldo -- 55 percentMendes -- 58 percent Total Power Strikes Landed: Aldo -- 40Mendes -- 27 Total Non-Power Strikes Landed: Aldo -- 16Mendes -- 24 In the big picture, "Money" appears to be a bit more accurate, but "Scarface" is bringing the heat with the big power shots. Here's what the arm striking aspect of the overall striking comparison looks like: Total Arm Strikes Landed: Aldo -- 21 of 56Mendes -- 13 of 35 Percentage of Arm Strikes Landed: Aldo -- 38 percentMendes -- 37 percent Power Strikes Landed: Aldo -- 15Mendes -- 9 Non-Power Strikes Landed Aldo -- 6Mendes -- 4 Pretty close. But, again, the power strikes favor Aldo in a fairly big way. MMA fans have witnessed Aldo's powerful kicks and knees. You'd assume he'd hold a large advantage in this category. Would you be right? Total Leg Strikes Landed: Aldo -- 14 of 18Mendes -- 9 of 12Percentage of Leg Strikes Landed: Aldo -- 78 percentMendes -- 75 percentPower Leg Strikes Landed: Aldo -- 10Mendes -- 2Non-Power Leg Strikes Landed: Aldo -- 4Mendes -- 7 Hate to sound like a broken record here, but it's the same story again. The overall numbers are pretty even, but Aldo edges out his opponent, once again, by landing the larger volume of power strikes. The ground portion of this fight is particularly interesting, as it matches up a top notch wrestler against a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. Let's see who the numbers favor in this realm of the fight: Ground Strikes Landed: Aldo -- 21 of 28Mendes -- 29 of 41Percentage: Aldo -- 75 percentMendes -- 71 percentPower Ground Strikes Landed: Aldo -- 15Mendes -- 16 Non-Power Ground Strikes Landed: Aldo -- 6Mendes -- 13 Takedowns: Aldo -- 8 of 11 (73 percent)Mendes -- 28 of 38 (74 percent)Submission Attempts: Aldo -- 0Mendes -- 1Dominant Positions: Aldo -- 9Mendes -- 3 I don't know about you, but after checking the statistics, I think this championship bout may end up being a little closer than I'd originally thought. Think I'm crazy? Or are you having second thoughts, too? Leave a comment with your best predictions on what you think will be the end result at UFC 142. For everything else you need to know about the clash between Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes be sure to check out our complete fight archive right here.

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Latest UFC 142 odds and betting guide for 'Aldo vs. Mendes' in Rio

Prepare for some thunder from down under (the Equator, that is) when Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this weekend (Jan. 14, 2012). And the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion has some heavy-duty combat violence in tow with UFC 134: "Aldo vs. Mendes." UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo will make the third defense of his 145-pound title in the main event of the evening, taking on unbeaten Team Alpha Male standout Chad Mendes, while Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson will square off in what will assuredly be a spectacular display of raw power. Prospects Erick Silva, Terry Etim and Edson Barboza will also light up the Octagon in South America come Saturday night. As you should know by now: Where there’s pain, there’s potential profit. Join us after the break for an in-depth look at the odds behind UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" as we examine the betting lines for the upcoming myriad MMA match ups: UFC 142 Odds for the Under Card: Antonio Carvalho (-225) vs. Felipe Arantes (+175)Mike Pyle (-450) vs. Ricardo Funch (+300)Yuri Alcantara (-170) vs. Michihiro Omigawa (+140)Sam Stout (-115) vs. Thiago Tavares (-115)Gabriel Gonzaga (-130) vs. Edinaldo Oliveira (EVEN) Thoughts: While Carvalho is being undervalued here and, along with Pyle, will make a nice parlay stuffer, the best outright bargain here is probably Omigawa. Alcantara is a finishing machine, with 26 of them in all different flavors. He packs huge power and a nasty submission game that can come out of nowhere, as seen in his come-from-behind armbar of top prospect Francisco Drinaldo. What makes Omigawa a bargain is that he’s dealt with that before -- Hiroyuki Takaya and Marlon Sandro pack demonic punching power and neither was able to dent him. Admittedly, the fact that Alcantara has put down countless lightweights fills me with some dread, but his bombing style is inviting a world of hurt from Omigawa’s peek-a-boo boxing, which also transitions into his Judo. It might be hairy -- and it wouldn’t surprise me if Alcantara had him on the ropes at some point -- but Omigawa is a bargain at +140. Going back to Carvalho and Pyle, it wouldn’t hurt to stick them in parlays based on the fact that Carvalho has a more complete game than Arantes and Funch isn't really on Pyle's level. Leave the Stout alone, as well as Gonzaga. I was thinking of putting some down on Gonzaga, but his shaky chin and poor game planning make me hesitant to recommend it unless those odds slip down into the positives at some point. UFC 142 Odds for the Main Card: Erick Silva (-500) vs. Carlo Prater (+350)Edson Barboza (-340) vs. Terry Etim (+260)Rousimar Palhares (-600) vs. Mike Massenzio (+400)Anthony Johnson (-125) vs. Vitor Belfort (-105)Jose Aldo (-280) vs. Chad Mendes (+220) Thoughts: The lopsided-looking odds belie some intriguing match ups both stylistically and monetarily. Let’s look closer. Silva is a major league prospect and I’m quite disappointed that he couldn’t welcome Siyar Bahadurzada to the Octagon, but the -500 line and the fact that I have the same weird feeling about this fight that I had about Nam Phan vs. Jim Hettes makes me hesitant. Prater is fighting above his normal weight and on short notice, but he’s almost three times as experienced as Silva and has some wins over serious competition, including a guillotine victory against Carlos Condit. Still, those reservations about size and preparation are enough to dissuade me from betting on him, either. Leave this one alone. I expect Barboza to win this fight, but Etim is being severely undervalued -- he is not +260 material. Barboza shrugged off Pearson’s takedowns with relative ease, but was flustered by the The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) winner’s slickness, and Etim definitely has the tools to keep Barboza on his toes in similar fashion. He’s also a superior submission player to Pearson and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to see him lock up that evil guillotine of his, especially since he’s one of the few fighters in the division taller than Barboza. Still, I expect the power of Barboza to be too much, but Etim is definitely worth a straight bet. Even at -600, I still consider it a wise investment to stick Palhares in a parlay. There is literally nothing Massenzio does better than Palhares besides maybe basic algebra. As inconsistent as Palhares has been in the past, he’d need a brain fart of biblical proportions to fall to Massenzio. Palhares was rocked by Dan Miller, but he shrugged off Dan Henderson’s best shots. And, despite getting bombed by Nate Marquardt, never lost consciousness and got right to his feet as soon as the bout was stopped, which leads me to treat the Miller incident as an exception. Even Massenzio’s forte, the ground game, pales in comparison to Palhares’. "Toquinho’s" enormous strength and powerful takedowns practically ensure that he he’ll wind up on top if it goes there, and considering he’s subbmitted Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts like Lucio Linhares in MMA and Rafael Lovato Jr. in grappling. I think it’s safe to say he’ll be just fine against Massenzio in the grappling. Stick the "Tree Stump" in a parlay. There might have been something worth risking money on when one of these gentlemen was in the positives, but as it stands, Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson strikes me as too close a match up with too little profit. "Rumble" is enormous even as a middleweight, possesses staggering power in his hands and feet, and has a previously-underutilized wrestling game in his back pocket in case things take a turn for the worse. Belfort, on the other hand, has faster hands and more experience at 185 pounds, in addition to cleaner punching on a technical level. Frankly, I think it best to just sit back and pray this doesn’t turn into Melvin Guillard vs. Jeremy Stephens. While Aldo hasn’t been the perpetual violence machine he was in the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), the gap between him and the rest of the division still looks enormous. Mendes, however, may have the best chance of all. In addition to his vaunted wrestling game, he’s got extremely good striking and some serious pop in his hands. For example, nobody has dominated Omigawa on the feet like that in recent memory. Even if Aldo’s historically-impregnable takedown defense holds, Mendes is willing and able to hold Aldo against the fence until he tires, and unlike Kenny Florian, he’ll have Aldo on his toes at all times. That said, he’s still fighting Jose Aldo, who is still one of the most vicious dudes on the planet. If you’re going to bet on this fight, make it a pittance on Mendes. I don’t think he’ll pull it off, but he has the tools and is a decent bargain at those odds. My UFC 142 Best Bets: Parlay: Mike Pyle and Michihiro Omigawa -- Bet $34 to make $65.73 Parlay: Rousimar Palhares and Antonio Carvalho -- Bet $66 to make $45.22 Single Bet: Terry Etim -- Bet $24.67 to make $64.14 We’re about to hit one hell of a streak of UFC events; I, for one, am ready for the ride. Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver live UFC 142 results this Saturday, which is as good a place as any to talk about all the action inside the Octagon, as well as what you've got riding on the sportsbook. See you then, Maniacs!

Posted in: ufc, vs, odd, aldo, mende

Jose Aldo discusses the benefit of having Gray Maynard in camp

As many fans may know, Jose Aldo enlisted the help of one of the premier wrestlers in the lightweight division for his upcoming fight with Chad Mendes this Saturday night at UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes. However, the story behind how their relationship developed and how progress has gone at Nova Uniao are a bit more mysterious. With Mendes providing a very strong challenge to his reign as featherweight champ Aldo knew improving his takedown defense was important. As such, he brought Gray Maynard down to train with him recently. “The Bully” is a former standout at Michigan State University and nearly claimed the UFC lightweight title from Frankie Edgar on more than one occasion. “We met a few times at UFC events, and from there we started a friendship,” said Aldo in a video documenting his time with Maynard. “It’s great to have such a talented guy come over. And thank God now was a good time for him.” Mendes is a member of Team Alpha Male out of California, training with the likes of Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez. He is a NCAA runner-up while competing at Cal Poly. His bout against Aldo will serve as the main event for the UFC’s return to Brazil, as the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro will play host to the card. Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson tangle in the co-main event. Check out the video of Aldo-Maynard below:

Posted in: ufc, event, jose aldo, aldo, mende

Gray Maynard Enjoys Training with Jose Aldo

UFC lightweight Gray Maynard helped dominant champion Jose Aldo prepare for his latest title defense, along with enjoy some sun and fun in Brazil. Maynard reportedly spent more than three weeks at Aldo’s camp, helping the UFC featherweight champion train for his fight against Chad Mendes. Maynard called Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas his home, but has trained at a number of gyms, including American Kickboxing Academy and Nova Uniao. Here is what Maynard had to say about Aldo’s overall skillset: “I knew he was good, but I had no idea he was as good as he is in every area. Really unbelievable, especially his takedown defense. That goes for all of Nova Uniao [Aldo's home gym] also. He’s really one of the most, if not the most complete fighter I’ve ever worked with.” Aldo has remained undefeated in the WEC/UFC, and has quickly climbed the pound-for-pound rankings — a dominant win against Mendes will only help him gain more fans. Mendes is a tough guy and skilled fighter, but I just don’t think he’s ready for someone like Aldo.

Posted in: title defense, maynard, aldo, mende, nova uniao

Read the full article at MMA Opinion

Countdown to UFC 142 full video for 'Aldo vs Mendes' on Jan. 14 in Rio

"Countdown" to UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" aired just last night (Jan. 10, 2012) on Fuel TV to promote the upcoming pay-per-view (PPV) event scheduled for the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sat., Jan. 14, 2012. The network special provided a glimpse into the preparation and training camps of the fighters set to headline the show, featuring current featherweight champion Jose Aldo and number one contender to the throne Chad Mendes. "Aldo vs. Mendes" will also feature Vitor Belfort making his big return in front of his native people to take on Anthony Johnson, who will make his middleweight debut. Part two of Countdown to UFC 142, after the jump. MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Sat., Jan. 14, 2012), which is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view. The latest quick updates of the live action will begin to flow earlier than that around 7 p.m. ET with the preliminary bouts. For the latest UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" news and notes click here.

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UFC 142's Chad Mendes enjoying Brazil, excited for first career main event

RIO DE JANEIRO - When undefeated featherweight contender Chad Mendes meets current champ Jose Aldo in the main event of Saturday's UFC 142 event in Rio de Janeiro, it will mark not only the first 145-pound headliner in UFC history, it will also serve as the first-ever main event of the challenger's MMA career. So is Mendes perhaps a little nervous ahead of his first time in the pay-per-view spotlight? Hardly.

Posted in: ufc, event, ufc history, mende, event rio

Mendes looks to dethrone Aldo at UFC 142

Chad Mendes looks to remain unbeaten at UFC 142 against featherweight champion Jose Aldo, who has won 13 straight since 2005.

Posted in: ufc, aldo, mende, unbeaten, dethrone aldo

Read the full article at sportsnet.ca

Gray Maynard Helping Jose Aldo Prepare For Chad Mendes’ Wrestling At UFC 142

If Gray Maynard, who knows a thing or two about wrestling, is to be believed, then Chad Mendes doesn’t stand much of a chance against Jose Aldo this weekend at UFC 142. Maynard has been training with Jose Aldo down in Brazil for UFC 142, and says Aldo’s takedown defense is “unbelievable.” “I knew he was good, but I had no idea he was as good as he is in every area. Really unbelievable, especially his takedown defense. That goes for all of Nova Uniao [Aldo's home gym] also. “He’s really one of the most, if not the most complete fighter I’ve ever worked with.” “I think Mendes is a tough kid, but I think its too early for him to fight Jose Aldo.” If Aldo was going to bring someone in to help him prep for Mendes’ wrestling, there probably isn’t anyone better his size than Gray Maynard. The big question is: Will training with Maynard give Aldo the competitive advantage he needs to shut down Mendes’ explosive wrestling and force him into a striking match? If so, it’s definitely going to be Aldo’s fight to lose. Image via Jeff Sherwood for Sherdog

Posted in: jose, jose aldo, maynard, aldo, mende

UFC 142: By the Odds

Filed under: UFCThe last time the UFC went to Rio de Janeiro, it was a learning experience for everyone -- particularly those of us in the media who needed a solid hour to find our way into the arena. Among the other lessons we learned that night was: bet against a Brazilian in Brazil, and you'd better be prepared never to see that money again. Of the eight foreigners who faced Brazilians at UFC 134, only one -- Stanislav Nedkov -- left Rio a winner. Granted, it's a small sample size from which to form broad conclusions, but it does give us something to think about heading into UFC 142 on Saturday night. All four foreigners on the main card come in as underdogs to one degree or another. Surely there must be at least one Stanislav Nedkov in the bunch, but who's it going to be? Jose Aldo (-250) vs. Chad Mendes (+200) The tough part about analyzing two fighters who have 32 fights and only one loss between them is that there's not much of a blueprint for defeat on either man. Mendes has about half as many fights, but he's never been beaten. Aldo's lost once, but I think we can all agree that he's come a long way since "Jungle Fight 5," which was more than six years ago. While it's possible that Mendes could be knocked out or Aldo could be totally outwrestled, we haven't seen either scenario play out in the cage before. So why do oddsmakers favor Aldo so heavily? For starters, Aldo's been tested. He's beaten the likes of Kenny Florian, Mark Hominick, and Urijah Faber, which, let's be honest, is far more impressive than Mendes' list of victims. Aldo's win over Faber alone -- who seems like a more experienced and well-rounded version of Mendes -- is probably enough to justify the line all by itself. You factor in the home country advantage, which could really make a difference in the very likely event that the fight goes the distance, and suddenly the numbers start to make a lot of sense. It's not at all far-fetched to think that Mendes could wear Aldo out over the course of five rounds. After all, we saw how Aldo faded in the Hominick fight. But if Aldo is of sound mind and body here, it seems more likely that he'll purée Mendes' legs with kicks the same way he did to Faber's. My pick: Aldo. I'll admit that I had to talk myself down from the underdog pick, and I still think Mendes might be worth small action if the line creeps past +250. But it's hard for me to go against the champ in his own backyard. Vitor Belfort (-120) vs. Anthony Johnson (-110) This one is basically a pick-em that oddsmakers have cleverly skewed in their favor, and why not? It's the kind of fight that derelict sports gamblers love, because you can talk yourself into believing almost anything about it. Belfort fans will convince themselves that this is another blitzkrieg knockout in the making, while "Rumble" supporters can be certain that their man will be an unstoppable juggernaut in his new weight class. So who's right? I'd put my money on the Johnson camp, but not by much. Belfort is always a danger in the first few minutes of any fight, but the threat-level diminishes significantly as soon as he hears the words 'round two.' Johnson's never been knocked out in his MMA career, and you have to think he'll only be better at tiring out and breaking down opponents now that he's gone up a weight class. Both these guys hit hard enough to reduce any reasoned analysis to an unpredictable game of drunken rock-paper-scissors in the end, but Johnson has more ways to win and fewer ways to lose. My pick: Johnson. Who knows if he'll make it out of the arena in one piece if he beats a Brazilian MMA icon like Belfort, but I like his chances to take this into the later rounds and win a decision or a late stoppage. Rousimar Palhares (-485) vs. Mike Massenzio (+385) On skill alone, sure, Palhares deserves to be this big of a favorite. But as we've seen in the past, when Palhares fights it's not always that simple. To put it gently, the guy's a bit of a head case. Remember when he decided to try and call a mid-fight timeout against Nate Marquardt? How about when he leapt on top of the cage in celebration of a victory that he hadn't yet achieved in his fight with Dan Miller? Then there's the other end of the spectrum, like when he refused to release Tomasz Drwal from a heel hook even after the fight was clearly over. One bizarre incident might be a fluke, but Palhares has established a habit of weirdo happenings. Is it worth the risk that one such mental mishap could hand a victory to the major underdog Massenzio? If Massenzio were just a little better, and maybe not so dependent on his wrestling, I might say yes. Against Palhares, however, I fear he has the exact wrong style to take advantage of a guy whose brain isn't always operating in perfect harmony with his body. My pick: Palhares. But you know what? He's so mercurial I don't even want him in my parlay. There's just too great a chance that he'll screw everything up by deciding to quit in the middle of the fight and go work a concession stand instead. Erick Silva (-485) vs. Carlo Prater (+385) We still haven't seen enough of Erick Silva to have a great handle on what he's capable of, but what we have seen has been pretty impressive. He starched Luis Ramos in his Octagon debut the last time the UFC was in Rio. This time he'll get a tougher opponent, but not necessarily an overwhelming one. Prater's a replacement for Siyar Bahadurzada, who would have likely been a much stiffer test for the young Brazilian. Not that Prater's an easy mark, mind you. He's been around, has fought some recognizable names, but doesn't have much to show for it. His willingness to step up here will earn him a UFC roster spot for the first time in a nearly ten-year career, but I don't even like his odds to hang on to that for very long, much less pull out a win on relatively short notice. My pick: Silva. I still think he's overvalued at almost 5-1, but I'm willing to take the bait and put it in my parlay out of a lack of better ideas. Edson Barboza (-280) vs. Terry Etim (+220) Can we cut the crap and be real with each other for a minute, fellow derelicts? Don't tell anyone, but I'm starting to suspect that Barboza might be just the tiniest bit overrated. I know, I know: he looked great in his UFC debut against Mike Lullo. And he also looked sharp against Anthony Njokuani. And then he did just enough to get a decision over Ross Pearson. But have you noticed that as the competition gets better, he seems to stay more or less the same? It makes me wonder if he's like one of those pitchers who strikes out everyone when he first gets called up to the majors, but gets steadily shelled as hitters start to figure him out. Granted, Barboza's still undefeated, so it's not like he's giving up grand slams (to stick with this already troublesome mixed sports metaphor), but I can't help but feel like this line is a reflection of his hype more than his skills. Etim is better than many people realize, and this style match-up is right in his wheelhouse. I understand why he's the underdog, but he could surprise some people. I just wouldn't want to go to the judges in this fight if I were him. My pick: Etim. Is this another instance of me talking myself into an underdog pick just to avoid looking like a jerk who takes all the favorites? Maybe. But still... Quick picks: - Michihiro Omigawa (+110) over Yuri Alcantara (-140). I'm not sold on Alcantara, and Omigawa is better than his record in the UFC reflects. - Ednaldo Oliveira (+120) over Gabriel Gonzaga (-150). Most have never heard his name, but word is that Oliveira has acquitted himself well as Junior dos Santos' sparring partner. Meanwhile, Gonzaga hasn't had a truly significant win since 2007. The 'For Entertainment Purposes Only' Parlay: Aldo + Johnson + Silva + Omigawa. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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UFC 142 Predictions

Filed under: UFCWill Jose Aldo continue to run roughshod over the featherweight division? Or will Chad Mendes pull off a huge upset in Aldo's homeland? Will Anthony Johnson look even more powerful now that he's not killing himself to cut down to welterweight? Or will Vitor Belfort's patented power punches put Johnson to sleep? Will any of the favored Brazilians lose in front of the fans in Rio? I'll attempt to answer those questions and more as I predict the winners at UFC 142 below. What: UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes When: Saturday, the FX preliminary card begins at 8 p.m. ET and the main card begins on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET. Where: HSBC Arena, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Predictions on the five pay-per-view fights below. More Coverage: UFC 142 Results | UFC 142 Fight Card José Aldo vs. Chad Mendes The undefeated Mendes has talked in recent weeks about how he's sure he has the right game plan for Aldo, and about how he has the best wrestling credentials of anyone Aldo has ever fought, and he's coming into this fight with a lot of confidence. And if you look at the fight from a certain point of view, you can see where that confidence comes from: Mendes has, after all, used that superior wrestling to take decisions from some pretty good opponents, and even though this will be Mendes' first five-round fight, he may have a cardio edge over Aldo. But that's my analysis when I'm trying to look for a reason to think Mendes could win. The hard truth for Mendes is that while he's a better wrestler than anyone Aldo has ever fought before, Aldo is a much, much, much better striker than anyone Mendes has ever fought before. Aldo has become more cautious and tentative in recent fights, and so I'm not expecting to see the kind of devastating knockout that the Aldo of 2008-2009 could be counted on to provide. But I am expecting Aldo to employ leg kicks to keep Mendes at distance, perhaps some knees when Mendes shoots for takedowns, and enough punches to bloody Mendes's face. This fight should be another good opportunity for Aldo to show that he's hands down the best featherweight in MMA. Pick: Aldo Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson Johnson's decision to move up to middleweight is long overdue -- while fighting at welterweight he twice came in more than five pounds over. So will he look better now that he's fighting in a division where he can actually make weight comfortably? I think he will, but I'm not sure how much of a difference that makes because I see this fight as being more about Belfort's power than Johnson's. Belfort has had five fights since moving down to middleweight in 2008, and in four of them he knocked his opponent cold with punches. In the fifth, he got knocked cold himself by Anderson Silva's front kick. Johnson certainly has the ability to land a head kick and knock Belfort out with it, but I see Belfort catching Johnson with his hands down and knocking him out. Pick: Belfort Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio Massenzio is a good wrestler and a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt, and he's coming off a solid win over Steve Cantwell at UFC 136. But he's not even close to Palhares' level on the ground, and I'll be surprised if this fight doesn't end with Palhares cranking on Massenzio's leg, and Massenzio tapping. Pick: Palhares Erick Silva vs. Carlo Prater Silva made his UFC debut at the last Rio show and needed just 40 seconds to knock out Luis Ramos. Prater, who's finally making his UFC debut 40 fights into his MMA career, has a good chin and won't be knocked out as quickly as Ramos was. But Prater took this fight on short notice and really isn't on the same level as Silva, and it would be shocking if Silva doesn't win this fight handily. Pick: Silva Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim Barboza has built up a 9-0 record without ever really being tested on the ground, and Etim has a very dangerous submission game (he's won the Submission of the Night bonus in each of his last three wins). So if he can get this fight to the ground, Etim may just be the first person to beat Barboza. But Barboza is such a lethal striker that I expect him to hurt Etim badly standing up. Pick: Barboza Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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'Countdown' to UFC 142: 'Aldo vs Mendes' programming alert and discussion thread

"Countdown" to UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" will debut TONIGHT (Jan. 10, 2012) at 9 p.m. ET on Fuel TV to promote the upcoming pay-per-view (PPV) event scheduled for the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sat., Jan. 14, 2012. The network special will provide a glimpse into the preparation and training camps of the fighters set to headline the show, featuring current featherweight champion Jose Aldo and number one contender to the throne Chad Mendes. "Aldo vs. Mendes" will also feature Vitor Belfort making his big return in front of his native people to take on Anthony Johnson, who will make his middleweight debut. Replays of "Countdown" to UFC 142 will air sporadically throughout the entire FOX family of networks, including FX, right up until showtime. Check your local listings. Feel free to talk about the hour-long special, as well as share your predictions for the fights this weekend, in the comments section below. In the meantime, check out the current UFC 142 fight card and line up after the jump: Main event: 145 lbs.: Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes Main card (pay-per-view): 185 lbs.: Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson 185 lbs.: Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio 170 lbs.: Carlo Prater vs. Erick Silva 155 lbs.: Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim Preliminary card (FX Channel): 155 lbs.: Thiago Tavares vs. Sam Stout 265 lbs.: Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Ednaldo Oliveira 145 lbs.: Michihiro Omigawa vs. Yuri Alcantara 170 lbs.: Ricardo Funch vs. Mike Pyle Preliminary card (Facebook): 145 lbs.: Felipe Arantes vs. Antonio Carvalho MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Sat., Jan. 14, 2012), which is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view. The latest quick updates of the live action will begin to flow earlier than that around 7 p.m. ET with the preliminary bouts. For the latest UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" news and notes click here.

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Jose Aldo: “If we both hit the ground, I will be the one with the advantage.”

During the build towards their headlining bout this weekend at UFC 142, unbeaten wrestler Chad Mendes has been very open in expressing his firm belief featherweight champion Jose Aldo will be unable to stop his takedowns. However, while Mendes’ mat-based acumen is well-documented, Aldo remains unconcerned about what his challenger has to offer and not necessarily because he feels he will stuff every attempt. “About his speed, it won’t be a problem,” said Aldo in an interview with the UFC. “He’s always been an explosive fighter, but I’m an explosive fighter as well. I’ve been training jiu-jitsu since I was a kid, so if we both hit the ground, I will be the one with the advantage.” Another advantage Aldo feels he has pertains to a past pairing against Urijah Faber, Mendes’ coach and confidant. Aldo beat “The California Kid” soundly in April 2010, picking apart his leg with kicks throughout their five round affair. “Chad’s style of fighting is very similar to Faber’s,” Aldo explained. “The height, the wrestling, the way they move…they are very similar. Mendes is younger than Faber, but it’s basically the same type of fight for me.” And, of course, Aldo also feels he’s the superior stand-up artist, stating a stoppage seems likely given the match-up. “Mendes has got a disadvantage fighting me on his feet. He’s not as good a boxer as the other guys I have faced and I don’t think he can do well standing up in this fight. I will be looking for a knockout or a submission.” Catch Aldo defend his belt against Mendes when the main card of UFC 142 takes to the PPV airwaves on Saturday night. Other featured bouts include Sam Stout vs. Thiago Tavares and Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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Jose Aldo vs Chad Mendes fight video simulation for UFC 142

UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" features the headlining fight of Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes for the promotion's featherweight title, which goes down this Saturday night (Jan. 14, 2012) live on pay-per-view from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The boys over at THQ recently simulated the 145-pound clash with their "UFC Undisputed 3" video game, matching up "Junior" against "Money" to see who brings home the gold. The Results? After 25 simulations, Mendes wins the first round 80-percent of the time, hits 72-percent of his takedowns and only gets submitted once in 48 attempts. Aldo, however, lands 50-percent more strikes than his opponent and wins 14 out of the 25 simulated contests. In other words, "Junior" defends. Anyone think this fight of wrestler versus striker plays out any differently this weekend? Get up to speed on all the UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" news and notes by clicking here.

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UFC 142 weigh in results, information and details for 'Aldo vs Mendes' on Jan. 13 in Rio

The official weigh in event for UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" is set to take place this Friday (Jan. 13, 2012) live from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 4 p.m. ET. As usual, MMAmania.com will provide up-to-the-second coverage of the UFC 142 weigh-ins, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude. "Aldo vs. Mendes" will be headlined by featherweight champion Jose Aldo, defending his 145-pound title against undefeated wrestler Chad Mendes. In addition, Vitor Belfort will strap on the gloves to try and ruin Anthony Johnson's debut at middleweight. Here is the current UFC 142 fight card and line up: Main event: 145 lbs.: Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes Main card (pay-per-view): 185 lbs.: Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson 185 lbs.: Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio170 lbs.: Carlo Prater vs. Erick Silva155 lbs.: Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim Preliminary card (May not be broadcast): 155 lbs.: Thiago Tavares vs. Sam Stout265 lbs.: Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Ednaldo Oliveira145 lbs.: Michihiro Omigawa vs. Yuri Alcantara 170 lbs.: Ricardo Funch vs. Mike Pyle145 lbs.: Felipe Arantes vs. Antonio Carvalho MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC 142, beginning with the PPV telecast at 10 p.m. ET on Jan. 14. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action much earlier on fight night. It's going to be a fun night of fights so don't miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC 142 coverage you can handle. For the latest "Aldo vs. Mendes" news and notes check out our event archive right here.

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UFC RIO 142 Judo Chop: Jose Aldo Uses Leg Kicks to Defeat Urijah Faber

In the main event of UFC RIO 142: Aldo vs. Mendes, UFC Featherweight champion Jose Aldo will make the third defense of that title when he faces undefeated Chad Mendes. It's an intriguing fight; Mendes is the lowest profile and least marketable fighter Aldo has yet defended against, while also having the best shot at dethroning the champ, as Mendes will likely try to use his wrestling to control Aldo and grind him down. For Aldo, one of the best strikers in MMA today, I anticipate one of his best weapons will be back on display against Mendes. I'm talking about the strike he used to completely dismantle Mendes's Alpha Male teammate Urijah Faber - the leg kick. The leg kick is a great technique to employ against a wrestler; as Aldo lands more and more shots to the leg, Mendes will lose his ability to explode off his feet, hurting his chances to take Aldo down. But there's a dangerous flipside to that - by throwing a leg kick, Aldo gives Mendes the chance to grab that leg and use it to secure a takedown. So what makes Aldo's leg kicks so good? And why do I think he is still safe to use them against Mendes? Let's break down those kicks in this Judo Chop, focusing specifically on the Faber fight for our examples. The Basics: Leg Kicks 101 Against Faber, Aldo showed absolute mastery of leg kicks, but that mastery has to start with a solid foundation in the fundamentals. Here is a look at some of those Aldo kicks, starting with the basics of the kick and what he is doing right. Complete breakdown, with gifs, in the full entry. SBN coverage of UFC RIO 142: Aldo vs. Mendes On your right you see Aldo landing a kick that fully demonstrates his technique (there are two kicks in the gif - I am focusing on the one shown from a side angle that spins Faber around). There are three specifics to bring to attention here. 1. Hip rotation. As Aldo throws the right kick, he twists his whole body, ending so that his belly button is perpendicular to Faber. By throwing his body so fully into the kick, he increases the force - the power is coming not just from the whip of the leg, but from the twist of the hips, the shoulders... everything. 2. Turning the left foot. Similar to the hip rotation, watch the way Aldo rotates his left foot when throwing the right kick. That small turn of the foot helps with what we discussed above, making his whole body turn to the side and increasing the impact on the leg. I also love the way he immediately twists it back into position when he is done, allowing him to quickly move back and avoid any counter shots. 3. Striking with the shin. This is the most devastating part of this kick. Aldo lands it perfectly, not with the top of his foot, but with his shin. That is the ideal weapon. If you land with the foot, you run the risk of breaking bones in your own foot, while also striking your opponent with a much softer tissue area. The shin is all bone, and keeps you safe while maximizing damage. Landing with the shin is easy to say, harder to do because your opponent is often moving away from the kick, but for a leg kick to be truly effective, that needs to be where the attack comes from. 4. Bringing the right hand down. You can see this more clearly in the 2nd kick actually - as Aldo lands the kick, he brings his right hand down in a chopping motion, again adding to his momentum, and increasing the torque behind the kick. This is the common Muay Thai way of using your hands in a leg kick, but it's also a source of some debate. A lot of fighters prefer to keep that hand up, as bringing it down leaves your right side exposed to counters. Here, Aldo chooses to sacrifice defense in the name of power. With those fundamentals in place, Aldo already becomes a dangerous combatant with leg kicks, and already puts himself in the top tier of MMA fighters using this strike. But Aldo takes the kicks even further with some extra details. Advanced Studies One of the things that makes Aldo's leg kicks so dangerous is his ability to land them on an opponent who may perceive himself to be out of range. He does this by stepping in with the kick, as shown on the left. Before throwing the strike, watch how Aldo uses two steps to close the distance quickly, catching Faber off balance. Even though Faber lifts his lead leg to throw a push kick, Aldo still connects on the back leg because he has gotten so far inside. Two little details really set this movement apart. First, watch Aldo's left foot. On the second step, he brings it a little further out, so that he is immediately in position for the kick - great economy of movement there. Second, this time he keeps that right arm mostly in front of him instead of chopping it down. Because Faber is trying to strike back, Aldo makes the adjustment to use that arm for defense, not power, keeping himself safe from a Faber left hook. Aldo also makes the most of the low kick by both repeatedly coming back to it, while also mixing it into a wider arsenal. The leg kick is not a one shot KO kind of blow - it takes a few to really do damage (though, when thrown by someone like Aldo, not many). Aldo keeps coming back to it, landing in the same spot to really weaken Faber's legs. But he also doesn't become repetitive and predictable. Sometimes he throws the kick by itself, sometimes he sets it up with a punch. Here, a bit later in the fight, he has Faber thinking about the leg kick, so comes up high with a head kick instead. Because Faber has begun to drop his hands in anticipation of the leg kick, his head is more exposed. That is a superb use of the leg kick to both do its own damage, while also opening the door for other strikes. The last great asset for Aldo's kicks is one you can't really see in this slowed down clips - speed. He throws the kick with great speed, catching Faber before he has time to defend. When Faber switches stances, putting his right leg forward, Aldo quickly attacks that leg. And not only does he strike quickly, he brings the leg back quickly as well. That is perhaps what will serve him best against Mendes - the ability to land the strike, then quickly bring the leg back before it can be grabbed and used for a takedown. The Featherweight title defense against Faber was one of Jose Aldo's finest moments, and it is largely a result of this absolute clinic in leg kicks. For any fans of striking, it was a beautiful thing to watch, and I can't help but hope that we see the majesty of these kicks once again on display in full force Saturday night in Brazil.

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Gray Maynard Gives High Praise to Jose Aldo

Filed under: UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, NewsBy the time he's done in Brazil, Gray Maynard will have spent a little more than three weeks helping Jose Aldo, the UFC featherweight champion, prepare for his next title defense against Chad Mendes at UFC 142 on Jan. 14. And while it seems like a no-brainer for Aldo to train with Maynard for this fight, considering Maynard is built very much like Mendes, the idea was actually Maynard's, not the champ's. "I've talked to him backstage at the UFC's and [the UFC 136] press conference in Houston," Maynard told MMAFighting.com recently. "[He] really seemed like a humble, nice guy. So, I wanted to reach out to him to help." Maynard has trained with some of the best fighters in the world at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, and more recently at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif., but he believes Aldo may top them all. "I knew he was good, but I had no idea he was as good as he is in every area. Really unbelievable, especially his takedown defense. That goes for all of Nova Uniao [Aldo's home gym] also. "He's really one of the most, if not the most complete fighter I've ever worked with." Maynard is coming off a UFC lightweight title loss to Frankie Edgar at UFC 136 in Houston. The loss marked the first of his career. Since then, he's been a bit of a nomad, training at different gyms across the world. He said he is "still in the process of moving" gyms but did not commit to a new home just yet. He's also still waiting to finalize his next fight, which is expected to take place in the first quarter of 2012. Interestingly enough, Maynard, who was complimentary of Mendes' skills, believes "Money" isn't quite ready to fight someone like Aldo, even though Mendes is getting his first title shot in his 12th pro fight, while Maynard fought for the UFC 155-pound title in just his 11th pro fight. "I think Mendes is a tough kid, but I think its too early for him to fight Jose Aldo." UFC 142, headlined by Aldo vs. Mendes, airs live on pay-per-view from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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The Blueprint - Aldo vs. Mendes

Jose Aldo has something to prove on Saturday night.That got your attention, didn’t it? Follow along for a couple of paragraphs before getting all crazy in the comment section, because the reigning UFC featherweight champion certainly does have something to prove in my honest opinion.Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre are universally regarded as the top two fighters in the world, pound for pound. Yet, both are currently sidelined by injuries that will keep them out of action for a while and may or may not have a lasting impact on their respective abilities moving forward. For the first time in years, there is finally a crack in the pound-for-pound door. Two men instantly come to mind when thinking about the next in line behind Silva and GSP—Jon Jones and Jose Aldo. Jones had such an amazing 2011 that many are ready to anoint him on par with the two reigning pound-for-pound kingpins. But the fact of the matter is that Jones has only recently entered the world of the elite. In 2010, Jones wasn’t even a footnote in the pound-for-pound debate. Don’t get me wrong. Jones has always been a fighter with seemingly limitless potential. I was calling this guy out as a future champion as early as his 2009 win over Stephan Bonnar. But nobody, other than maybe Jones’ immediate family, was referring to him in pound-for-pound terms until he won the championship from Mauricio “Shogun” Rua last March.Jose Aldo, on the other hand, has been part of the discussion since at least the middle part of 2010. Aside from a gut-check win over Mark Hominick last April, the Brazilian bomber has seemed largely invincible during his current 13-fight, five-plus-year winning streak. Go back and check out his wins over Cub Swanson, Mike Brown, Urijah Faber, Manny Gamburyan and Kenny Florian. You’ll understand what I’m talking about. This guy is scary good—absolutely scary.The problem for Aldo is that Jones’ 2011 was one of the best years that we’ve seen in the UFC in a long, long time. And we all know that mixed martial arts is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately sport. Aldo’s 2011 was good, but not that good.Nonetheless, Aldo’s body of work over the past five years suggests that he is more deserving of pound-for-pound glory than his younger, larger fellow champion. None of that matters, though, if he cannot put on a stellar performance on Saturday night against undefeated challenger Chad Mendes.Aldo can’t just beat Mendes if he wants to reinsert himself into the pound-for-pound discussions. He needs to destroy him, which is exponentially easier said than done.Many believe that Mendes is the best wrestler that Aldo has ever faced. That is a gigantic statement considering the fact that Aldo already owns a lopsided win over Faber, a very successful collegiate wrestler in his own right. And he made it look like just another day at the office. The question is whether he can do the same thing to Faber’s Alpha Male teammate on Saturday night. The answer all depends on whether Aldo can stop the takedown. If so, the champion will undress his opponent with a violent array of strikes. In fact, it will probably seem more like target practice than a fight, if the action remains standing.But that is a big IF. Remember, we are talking about the 2008 Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year. That means he is no joke when it comes to putting opponents on their backside with takedowns and slams. More on that in a minute. If Aldo wants to stop the takedown, he should go right back to the same game plan he used against Faber, which means dishing out a heavy dose of kicks.Aldo is a master at using kicks to both control the distance and exact damage. He knew that that he needed to avoid the takedown against Faber in order to maximize his chances at defeating the former collegiate wrestling star. That same logic applies against Mendes. Thus, Aldo should put on the same clinic on how to control the distance with lightning fast leg and body kicks. Aldo’s lower body attack was so effective against Faber that he actually scored multiple knockdowns from leg kicks, something rarely seen at the highest level of MMA. There is no reason to believe that he cannot do the same thing against Mendes for two reasons. First, Aldo delivers his kicks with such insane speed that they are unbelievably difficult to time and catch. Second, if Mendes drops his hands in an unsuccessful attempt to catch an Aldo kick, he opens the door for a one-punch knockout loss. Not only is Aldo the best puncher in the division; he is also the best at feinting with a kick and then unleashing a nuclear right hand, something that will always be in the back of Mendes’ mind throughout the fight. That isn’t to suggest that Mendes can’t take the fight to the ground. I actually think quite the opposite is true. Mendes is eons better than Hominick in the takedown arena. Yet, the Canadian scored multiple takedowns in his April bout against Aldo. He was able to succeed where others failed because of his willingness to stand in the pocket and trade with the champion. Hominick is an expert striker in his own right, so standing and trading with Aldo wasn’t a crazy idea. It is the equivalent of single-night career suicide for Mendes. Yet, that is basically what he needs to do, if he wants to get the fight to the ground. Otherwise, Aldo will shuck his takedown attempts, just like he did against Faber and Brown. The remainder of Aldo’s game plan will be the same as every other fight—stand and bang. This guy has a thirst for thrilling the crowd with masterful displays that harken back to the gladiatorial days of Ancient Rome. He quenches his thirst with a variety of explosive strikes, including straight right hands, left hooks, leg kicks, high kicks and flying knees. Personal safety is an afterthought, because Aldo is the type of fighter who believes that the best defense is non-stop offense. Aldo’s offense-first mindset should actually open the door for takedowns, assuming Mendes is smart enough to keep his hands up and either walk through the initial barrage of kicks (ouch) or check them en route to a quick, explosive double-leg takedown attempt.Keep in mind that I’m not talking about a haphazard shot. I’m talking about Brock Lesnar or Josh Koscheck freight-train-style shots. Mendes has to accept that the only way he is winning this fight, absent a lucky strike, is by taking the fight to the ground. Thus, he must change levels and explode with every part of his being each time the opportunity presents itself. He cannot worry about eating a flying knee. He cannot worry about eating an uppercut. He has to completely commit to the takedown attempt. If Mendes fights with that sort of confidence in his own wrestling ability, then this fight gets very interesting very quickly. Conventional wisdom is that great wrestling defeats great striking more often than not. Why? Simple. A great wrestler can dictate where the fight unfolds. A great striker cannot, unless he also happens to have great takedown defense.Aldo has very good takedown defense, but it is predicated as much on hesitation from his opponents due to the fear of eating a fight-ending strike as it is his ability to drop quickly and effectively sprawl. If Mendes eliminates hesitation from the equation and makes sure he both sets up his takedowns and shoots from an appropriate distance, then I don’t see any reason why he won’t get the action to the ground. Again, that is far easier said than done, but let’s assume that he will be successful in scoring at least one takedown in Rio de Janeiro. Once on the ground, Mendes needs to work cautiously aggressive ground and pound. Aldo is a black belt in BJJ and would almost certainly outpoint, or possibly even submit, Mendes in a submission grappling contest that allowed or required a gi. But this is MMA, and there is neither a gi nor a prohibition on strikes, which changes everything. Thus, any perceived superiority in Aldo’s practical ground skills are largely a myth in the face of Mendes’ ground-and-pound attack. A healthy diet of pounding and slicing elbows would be my assault of choice. By throwing elbows, even those that are thrown with real shoulder turn, which helps guarantee maximum force, don’t expose an attacker to triangles and armbars the way that punches do. In addition, elbows tend to exact more damage when properly thrown because there is no padding, which means a higher likelihood of fight-ending cuts or, possibly, a true knockout. A healthy diet of elbows is also a great way to grind down an opponent. If he can tire Aldo during the first three rounds, then takedowns will become close to automatic in the championship rounds, which is where Mendes needs to bring the fight, if he wants to maximize his odds of winning. QUICK FACTSJose Aldo• 25 years old• 5’7, 145 lbs• 70-inch reach• 20-1 overall • 13-fight winning streak• Last loss November 26, 2005• 70.0% of wins by KO/TKO/submission due to strikes • 5.0% of wins by submission• 25.0% of wins by judges’ decision• Lone career loss by submission• 3 of 8 WEC fights won Knockout of the Night• Fight of the Night in UFC debut against Hominick• Two consecutive successful defenses of UFC title• Current layoff is 95 days• Longest layoff of career is 347 daysChad Mendes• 26 years old• 5’6, 145 lbs• 66-inch reach• 11-0 professional record• 18.2% of wins by KO/TKO• 18.2% of wins by submission• 63.6% of wins judges’ decision• First title challenge• First fight against a current or former champion• Current layoff is 161 days• Longest layoff of career is 182 days

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UFC 142 Prediction: Jose Aldo to make a statement against Mendes

Next Saturday, Jose Aldo will put his title on the line against Chad Mendes. Their match headlines the UFC’s second foray into Brazil, after a wildly successful first show earlier this year. Jose, whose list of conquered foes contains Urijah Faber and Mike Brown, will be putting his title on the line for the fifth time. So what makes Chad "Money" Mendes different than Urijah Faber and Mike Brown? That's the question I asked myself when breaking down the scrap between Aldo and

Posted in: urijah faber, aldo, ufc ’s, mende, question i

UFC 142: Chad Mendes doesn't care who Jose Aldo trains with, his wrestling is better than theirs

Undefeated Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight Chad Mendes will have the unenviable task of stepping into the Octagon against one of the most dangerous strikers in mixed martial arts (MMA) -- 145-pound champion Jose Aldo. Mendes will collide with "Scarface" in the UFC 142 main event on Jan. 14, 2012, in hostile territory at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The former NCAA Division-1 wrestler has undoubtedly earned his shot at the featherweight title, remaining unbeaten (11-0) in his young mixed martial arts (MMA) career, while relying heavily on his exceptional mat experience to control the pace of fights. As a member of Team Alpha Male, Mendes has trained alongside UFC featherweight Urijah Faber, who can provide invaluable inside information to "Money," seeing as how "The California Kid" spent 25 minutes locked inside a cage with Aldo at World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) 48, losing via unanimous decision. In an attempt to brush up on his wrestling skills to contend with those of Mendes, Aldo enlisted the services of former number one contender, UFC lightweight Gray Maynard, another accomplished wrestling powerhouse. Speaking at today's UFC 142 conference call, Mendes feels that his skills are more than enough to dethrone the featherweight champion, regardless of who Aldo has in his camp. Check it out: "I don't care who Jose trains with. I train with some of the best guys in the world. It's what I've done my entire life and I don't take a year off ever. You can work with the best wrestler in the world but his wrestling is not going to be anywhere near mine. Maynard doesn't know how good I am. He's just saying that because he's training with Aldo. I feel I'm prepared. My stand-up is gonna be good and my wrestling will be better. I'm in the best spot possible. I think Jose has all the pressure on his shoulders. He's the one fighting in his home crowd, he's the one with the belt. I feel my skills are enough to beat him and all the pressure is on him. I don't think any of the guys that fought him have the wrestling credentials or ability to get him to the ground and hold him there. We figured out his strengths and weaknesses. We've gone over situations and we've come up with something that's gonna be great for the 14th." Unbeaten in his last 13 fights, Aldo has proven to be one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, breezing through his opponents with relative ease, relying heavily on his laser-like striking. However, Mark Hominick -- who is not known for great wrestling -- was able to take the Brazilian down at will in their co-main event bout at UFC 129 this past April, taking the 145-pound champion the distance. It's an eye-opening performance that Mendes surely picked up on and hopes to capitalize when they step into the Octagon next weekend. Can Mendes go into the Brazilian's home turf and end the reign of Aldo atop the featherweight division using his impressive wrestling techniques? Or will "Scarface" continue his dominance with his striking in this classis striker vs. grappler match up? Predictions, please.

Posted in: ufc, featherweight, aldo, mende, he

Chad Mendes Believes He Has The Wrestling Ability To Take The FW Title From Jose Aldo At UFC 142

“I have a good game plan and I’m confident that I’m going to do it — I’m excited. I think Jose has all the pressure on his shoulders. He’s the one fighting in front of his home crowd. He’s the one who has the belt. I’m the underdog everyone is overlooking, and I’m confident that the things I’m good at are what’s needed to beat him. I’m feeling confident going into this fight… I don’t think Jose has any holes or cracks in his game. I feel the same way about my game. I don’t have any holes… Guys have to get their hands on him more. Honestly, I don’t think any of the guys who have fought him have had half the wrestling credentials — or the wrestling ability — to get him down and hold him down. I think my strengths are my keys to beating Jose… Beating the champion in his own backyard? To me there’s no better way to prove that I’m the best 145-pound fighter. This is the best shape I’ve ever been in and I’m excited to get this opportunity.” — Chad Mendes on the UFC 142 conference call (via MMA Fighting) talking about his upcoming title fight against Jose Aldo at UFC 142 Jose Aldo is a tall order for anyone in the UFC’s featherweight division, especially in his home country of Brazil, but if any featherweight can beat Aldo, it’s Chad Mendes. This match-up reminds me a lot of Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen. You don’t want to stand in front of Aldo all fight because he’s just going to pick you apart. You need to put him on his back and hold him there, and if anyone has the strength and wrestling ability to keep Aldo off his feet, it’s Mendes. That doesn’t necessarily mean I’m picking Mendes, but stylistically, I think he has the best shot out of anyone in the featherweight division. Anyone think Mendes will win? Image via Sherdog

Posted in: ufc, jose, aldo, mende, game i

UFC 142's Mendes more than ready for champ Aldo, no matter what Maynard says

Two-time lightweight title challenger Gray Maynard thinks featherweight Chad Mendes isn't ready for a title shot. Mendes, who's four years into pro MMA with 11 fights to his name, strongly disagrees. "Maynard saying that he doesn't think that I'm ready for a title shot - I don't know why Maynard's saying anything about anyone," Mendes said today during a media call in support of UFC 142

Posted in: title, maynard, mende, champ aldo, anyone mendes

UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes Real Time Conference Call Highlights

Exciting featherweight champion Jose Aldo is a little more than a week away from defending his title in front of an arena of his fellow Brazilians with powerful wrestler Chad Mendes standing in his way, trying to fulfill a dream of his own by laying claim to divisional gold. However, before they mix it up inside the Octagon the two talented 145ers are set to sit down with media during a conference call this afternoon and discuss their upcoming bout. Joining them on the line will be middleweights Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson, two apt adversaries also scheduled to face off on January 14 at UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes. As always Five Ounces of Pain will be tuned in and listening throughout, ready to relay interesting information and scintillating soundbytes to readers as things unfold in real time. The call starts at 1:00 PM EST so make sure to check back in and see what the quartet of competitors had to say with their respective match-ups creeping ever closer. Read below for UFC 142 conference call highlights: Jose Aldo Chad Mendes Vitor Belfort Anthony Johnson PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, anthony johnson, aldo, mende, fellow brazilians

UFC Rio: Aldo vs Mendes Media Call News and Updates

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will host a media conference call with the stars of the upcoming UFC RIO: ALDO vs. MENDES card on Wednesday, January 4, 2012, at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT. UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo and title challenger Chad Mendes will participate, while middleweight co-main event stars Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson will also be available to discuss their upcoming bout. As usual Bloody Elbow will be on the call. Follow Matthew Roth for instant updates via twitter (@mattroth512). Any major quotes and news will be posted after the jump following the conclusion of the media call. UFC 142 will be the UFC's first event of 2012 and the UFC's return to Brazil after a fantastic card the summer of 2011. Since that event Brazil has become very supportive of MMA and its fighters. Expect to see the same passion at UFC 142. SBN coverage of UFC RIO 142: Aldo vs. Mendes

Posted in: ufc, vs, rio, aldo, mende

Chad Mendes Confident He'll Beat Jose Aldo at UFC 142

Filed under: UFCChad Mendes knows he's an underdog who will face a hostile crowd when he fights UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo in the main event at UFC 142. But Mendes is brimming with confidence at his chances of taking home the belt. "I have a good game plan and I'm confident that I'm going to do it -- I'm excited," Mendes said Wednesday. "I think Jose has all the pressure on his shoulders. He's the one fighting in front of his home crowd. He's the one who has the belt. I'm the underdog everyone is overlooking, and I'm confident that the things I'm good at are what's needed to beat him. I'm feeling confident going into this fight." That's not to say Mendes doesn't think highly of Aldo as an opponent. Mendes knows that Aldo is 20-1 in his MMA career, and that Aldo has gone 10-0 while dominating all ten opponents since leaving his native Brazil and making his North American debut in 2008. But Mendes thinks he has the right skill set to be the one to finally solve the puzzle of Aldo. "I don't think Jose has any holes or cracks in his game," Mendes said. But he quickly added, "I feel the same way about my game. I don't have any holes." Mendes has been working with his friend and training partner Urijah Faber, who lost a unanimous decision to Aldo in 2010, to formulate a game plan against Aldo. Mendes didn't give away all of his strategies, but he did say he believes other opponents have been too cautious and passive and failed to take the fight to Aldo. "I've watched his last few fights and that's something that's helped us put together a good game plan for this fight. I've sat down with Urijah," Mendes said. "Fighters stand in front of him too much. You've got to put pressure on Jose. He's the kind who will pick you apart." Given his wrestling background, it's no surprise that Mendes plans to clinch with Aldo and attempt to take him down. "Guys have to get their hands on him more," Mendes said. "Honestly, I don't think any of the guys who have fought him have had half the wrestling credentials -- or the wrestling ability -- to get him down and hold him down. I think my strengths are my keys to beating Jose." Mendes said he has no qualms about going to Brazil and beating a popular local fighter in front of a capacity crowd. "Beating the champion in his own backyard? To me there's no better way to prove that I'm the best 145-pound fighter," Mendes said. "This is the best shape I've ever been in and I'm excited to get this opportunity." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: jose, game plan, aldo, mende, im

UFC 142 conference call LIVE updates today (Jan. 4) for 'Aldo vs Mendes'

Ultimate Fighting Championship will hold a public press conference today (Jan. 4, 2011) in advance of UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes, which will take place next week (Jan. 14, 2011). The conference call will begin at 1 p.m. ET. Scheduled to attend will be the headlining fighters of the evening, Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes, Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson. Aldo is the current UFC featherweight champion. The rising Brazilian star defended his title twice in 2011 with unanimous decision victories over Kenny Florian and Mark Hominick. He's hoping to ring in the New Year with his first UFC finish. His opponent, Chad Mendes, is undefeated and finally feels he's ready for his moment to shine. "Money" Mendes has had his way with everyone put in his path, from Michihiro Omigawa, RanI Yahya to fellow top contender Erik Koch. The Team Alpha Male fighter is hoping his wrestling will help him win the title. Vitor Belfort is coming off an emphatic first round knockout of the hardheaded Yoshihiro Akiyama. He came up short in 2011 in his UFC middleweight title bid, and he's hoping a victory here, plus one over fellow Ultimate Fighter Brazil coach Wanderlei Silva will give him one more shot. Belfort's opponent, Anthony Johnson, is making the move to middleweight at least for now. Long heralded as the largest welterweight on the UFC roster who cut the most weight, "Rumble" will actually be two inches taller than Belfort with a four inch reach advantage. He's riding a two fight winning streak and could become a contender in either division with a victory. We'll have complete updates of the UFC 142 conference call after the jump: Brian Hemminger here. The press conference is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. ET.

Posted in: ufc, conference, belfort, aldo, mende

UFC 142 Fight Card Complete Again for “Aldo vs. Mendes” in Rio

The UFC 142 fight card is complete again for “UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes” on January 14 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil after four fighters had to be replaced in recent weeks. UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo takes on Chad Mendes in the UFC 142 main event, while Anthony Johnson makes his middleweight debut against Vitor Belfort in the co-main event. The pay-per-view main card is filled out by Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio, Erick Silva vs. Carlo Prater, and Terry Etim vs. Edson Barboza. The six-fight preliminary card, which is topped by Sam Stout vs. Thiago Tavares, airs live on FX. The complete UFC 142 fight card features: MAIN CARD Jose Aldo (c) vs. Chad Mendes UFC Featherweight Championship Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio Erick Silva vs. Carlo Prater Terry Etim vs. Edson Barboza PRELIMINARY CARD Sam Stout vs. Thiago Tavares Edinaldo Oliveira vs. Gabriel Gonzaga Yuri Alcantara vs. Michihiro Omigawa Mike Pyle vs. Ricardo Funch Fabio Maldonado vs. Caio Magalhaes Felipe Arantes vs. Antonio Carvalho For complete coverage of UFC 142 stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com. Pictured: Chad Mendes

Posted in: ufc, vs, card, aldo, mende

Chad Mendes confident in his ability to finish Jose Aldo at UFC 142

There aren’t many things unbeaten featherweight Chad Mendes wants to be #2 at. However, when it comes to his January 14 title-bout against champion Jose Aldo at UFC 142 Mendes has no problem being second, at least when it comes to finishing the 20-1 Brazilian. Aldo’s only career loss came in his teens when he was submitted by Luciano Azevedo on a card in Brazil. He has since won thirteen straight, a run Mendes expects to stop cold come showtime. “If I want to take it to the ground, I take it to the ground. That’s where it’s gonna go,” explained the 26-year old in an extended preview for the event. “I don’t think he’s fought anybody with the athleticism, the strength, and the wrestling background that I have. It’s gonna be tough for him to throw any kind of submission when I’m on top, punching him in the face.” Mendes Thinks Aldo Could Have Easily Lost to Kenny Florian The 11-0 Mendes, who said he’s as motivated by the belt as he is in getting revenge for teammate Urijah Faber who lost to Aldo in 2010, offered up a telling prediction that no doubt may be used by the 145-pound king as “chalkboard” material. “If my right hand hits him on the chin he’s gonna go to sleep,” stated Mendes frankly. “I will defeat Jose Aldo. I’m gonna go into Brazil and I’m gonna take that belt.” Aldo-Mendes will be part of a PPV also featuring Sam Stout vs. Thiago Tavares and Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson. Preliminary fights will be shown on FX. Check out the full preview below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: ufc, i ’m, aldo, mende, luciano azevedo

UFC releases extended look at UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes

The UFC will make its return to Brazil for UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes, as UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo defends his title against Chad Mendes. Aldo, a native of Brazil, will be looking to defend his title successfully for a third time in the UFC. Mendes sports a perfect 11-0 record. “I am looking at this kind of like a ‘Rocky’ story,” Mendes said. “I am fighting the champion in his backyard, and I am going to take it from him.” In the co-main event, Vitor Belfort meets Anthony Johnson. Other bouts scheduled for the card include Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio, Erick Silva against Carlo Prater, and Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim. Every fight, including the prelim card, has at least one Brazilian competing in it. Others in action include Gabriel Gonzaga and Sam Stout. UFC 142 takes place January 14 from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The five-fight main card airs live on pay-per-view while the prelims will be televised by FX. Check out the preview below:

Posted in: ufc, vs, brazil, aldo, mende

UFC Quick Quote: Chad Mendes isn't ready to fight Jose Aldo

"The way I see it, Chad Mendes is a great athlete, a very mature kid, but honestly I don't believe he's ready to fight Jose Aldo. I think it's too soon, he needed to fight few more times, but well... I'm not the one to decide that, it's just my opinion on the subject. Jose Aldo is a great champion, you can tell he feels comfortable at the cage and it seems he does what he wants to do in there. He's an impressive guy a while now I'll do whatever it is I can do to help him out. It's a pleasure training with a guy that talented. I can only say "thank you, Jose Aldo."" -- Former lightweight title contender Gray Maynard is training down at Nova Uniao with Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo to both sharpen his jiu-jitsu skills and help prepare "Junior" for his title defense against Chad Mendes at UFC 142 on Jan. 14 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. While there, "The Bully" took a minute to talk to Tatame.com about the upcoming 145-pound title scrap. And if Maynard is to be believed, Mendes is in over his head because he's just not ready for a bout against Aldo, a perennial pound-for-pound pugilist. For as "Money" as the Team Alpha Male product has looked throughout his career, winning each time out, that only encapsulates 11 fights over three years. Anyone agree with Maynard that Mendes isn't quite ready to swim with the top shark in the 145-pound weight class?

Posted in: fight, jose, aldo, chad mendes, mende

'Countdown to UFC 142' preview show debuts Dec. 21 on FUEL TV

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Brazil in January for UFC 142, which features a featherweight title fight between current champion Jose Aldo and undefeated contender Chad Mendes. In anticipation of that championship matchup, FUEL TV debuts "Countdown to UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes" on Tuesday, Jan 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. "Countdown to UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes" takes place Jan. 14 at Rio de Janeiro's HSBC Arena.

Posted in: ufc, countdown, aldo, mende, championship returns

Mendes Denies Threat to Steal Aldo's Belt, Has 'Ton of Respect' for Champ

On Jan. 14, Chad Mendes will have the biggest opportunity of his MMA career when he challenges featherweight champion Jose Aldo at UFC 142.

Posted in: aldo, mma career, chad, mende, aldos belt

Read the full article at Sherdog

UFC 142 results and LIVE fight coverage for 'Aldo vs Mendes' on Jan. 14 from Brazil

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) today put the finishing touches on its upcoming pay-per-view (PPV) fight card from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sat., Jan. 14, 2012. UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" will be headlined by featherweight champion Jose Aldo, defending his 145-pound title against undefeated wrestler Chad Mendes. In addition, Vitor Belfort will strap on the gloves to try and ruin Anthony Johnson's debut at middleweight. That's not all. Check out the current UFC 142 fight card and line up: Main event: 145 lbs.: UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes Main card (pay-per-view): 185 lbs.: Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson 155 lbs.: Thiago Tavares vs. Sam Stout 155 lbs.: Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim 185 lbs.: Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio Preliminary card (May not be broadcast): 170 lbs.: Paulo Thiago vs. Mike Pyle 205 lbs.: Fabio Maldonado vs. Stanislav Nedkov 170 lbs.: Siyar Bahadurzada vs. Erick Silva 145 lbs.: Michihiro Omigawa vs. Yuri Alcantara 145 lbs.: Felipe Arantes vs. Antonio Carvalho 265 lbs.: Rob Broughton vs. Ednaldo Oliveira **Fight card and line up subject to change** MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC 142, beginning with the PPV telecast at on Jan. 14. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action much earlier on fight night. We're still a few weeks away from showtime; therefore, feel free to share your thoughts and predictions for "Aldo vs. Mendes" in the comments section below. And remember that MMAmania.com will be the spot for the latest news and event-related highlights before, during and after the event. To get up to speed on all the news and notes for UFC 142 check out our extensive event archive right here.

Posted in: ufc, vs, lb, card, mende

UFC 142: Jose Aldo hopes to train with Gray Maynard ahead of title fight against Chad Mendes

If you invite them, they will come ... maybe. UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo is preparing to defend his title against one of the best wrestlers in the division, former All American college wrestler, Chad Mendes. Mendes, the former WEC standout, is undefeated in his young mixed martial arts career and relies heavily on his wrestling background. So much so, that he has won six out of his last seven fights via unanimous decision. "Money," who naturally uses his wrestling skills to dictate the pace of the fight, will definitely pose problems for Aldo when it comes to the grappling department. How does Aldo plan on preparing for such a dangerous wrestler? By training with another wrestling guru, of course; specifically, former lightweight title challenger Gray Maynard. Maynard, who was co-captain of the Michigan State University team during his college days and a 2004 U.S. Olympic Wrestling team hopeful, has also relied on his wrestling pedigree to get the job done throughout his career and has the credentials to be of great assistance to Aldo's ever expanding game. Speaking to Sherdog.com, "Scarface" says he hopes to bring Maynard in to help prepare him for his fifth title defense against Mendes, which headlines UFC 142 in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, on Jan. 14, 2012. "We have a big interest in bringing Maynard to train with me. He has such strong wrestling and we want people that (have) the same game Chad Mendes does. Mendes is a competitive and hard guy to fight. Me and Maynard have been in touch since UFC 136, and he also said it's his will to train with us at Nova Uniao, but nothing is confirmed thus far, especially because of the Thanksgiving holiday. I'm waiting for the answer." Maynard, who was last seen at UFC 136 on October 8, 2011, being knocked out at the hands of UFC lightweight champion and arch nemesis Frankie Edgar in the final chapter of their trilogy, recently parted ways with long time camp Xtreme Couture out of Las Vegas, Nevada. After suffering the first loss of his mixed martial arts career, Maynard seeks newer pastures to broaden his horizens in order to climb the ranks of the UFC lightweight division once again. Though Maynard has not settled on a new gym he can call home, he has stated that he wouldn't be opposed to traveling to as many gyms in order to train with as many new partners as possible in hopes of increasing his MMA knowledge. A few training sessions with one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world would definitely benefit Maynard as much as it would Aldo. But is bringing in "The Bully" enough to help "Scarface" neutralize the wrestling skills of Chad Mendes? Or will "Money" prove that he has what it takes to dethrone the UFC featherweight champion regardless of who he trains with? Opinions, please.

Posted in: ufc, train, maynard, aldo, mende

Maynard to Help Aldo With Preparation for Mendes

Jose Aldo will put his UFC featherweight title on the line against Chad Mendes at UFC 142, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on January 14. An elite striker and Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist, Aldo wants to focus his attention on wrestling, Mendes' specialty. To sharpen his takedown defense, the 145-pound king invited former UFC lightweight No. 1 contender Gray Maynard to join his camp.

Posted in: ufc, aldo, chad mendes, mende, janeiro brazil

Read the full article at Sherdog

UFC 142: Michihiro Omigawa vs Yuri Alcantara and Felipe Arantes vs Antonio Carvalho booked for Jan. 14 in Brazil

The UFC 142 fight card is nearing completion on the heels of two recent announcements. The "Aldo vs. Mendes" pay-per-view has picked up a pair of featherweight scraps in Michihiro Omigawa vs. Yuri Alcantara and Felipe Arantes vs. Antonio Carvalho, set for Jan. 14, 2012, at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. From UFC.com: Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes won't be the only featherweights showing off the division at UFC 142 in Brazil on January 14th, as UFC President Dana White announced two verbally agreed to bouts for the highly anticipated card: a clash between Yuri Alcantara and Michihiro Omigawa, and a battle pitting Felipe Arantes against debuting Antonio Carvalho. The third time was the charm for Omigawa, who finally picked up his first win since returning to the Octagon with a unanimous decision victory over Jason Young at UFC 138 earlier this month. The Japanese superstar was on shaky ground after consecutive decision loses to Chad Mendes and Darren Elkins, but appears to have finally righted the ship. Will it now sink at the hands of Alcantara? The Brazilian wrecking ball is on a 12-fight winning streak, including a 2-0 Octagon start with wins over Ricardo Lamas and Felipe Arantes. "Marajo" is 26-3 with 23 finishes. Scary stuff. Also representing the home team is the aforementioned Arantes, who brings a 13-4 record into his battle against Antonio Carvalho. The "Pato" is 13-4 as well and makes his Zuffa debut on the heels of his unanimous decision win over UFC veteran Doug Evans back in June. UFC 142 will feature featherweight champion Jose Aldo defending his 145-pound title against undefeated wrestler Chad Mendes. In addition, Vitor Belfort will strap on the gloves to try and ruin Anthony Johnson's debut at middleweight. For the current UFC 142 fight card and rumors click here.

Posted in: ufc, vs, mende, arante, alcantara

Chad Mendes: “I’m Going to Take His Belt”

UFC featherweight title challenger Chad Mendes says he's ready to go into Brazil and come home with Jose Aldo's championship belt in this Fight Day interview.

Posted in: challenger, belt, home, chad, mende

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Chad Mendes: I will be looking to put Jose Aldo on his back at UFC 142

Chad "Money" Mendes will have his shot at becoming a champion in the UFC, facing the Featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo in the main event of UFC 142. According to Mendes, Jose Aldo doesn't like to be on the ground, and that's exactly where he he's going to put him. Still, Mendes promised to have his striking just as sharp, with sights on proving he's a well rounded Mixed Martial Artist against Jose Aldo. The card will take place at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, co-headlined by the Middleweight

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Chad Mendes Highlight Video 2011

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Where Faber faltered, UFC 142's Mendes thinks he can succeed against champ Aldo (MMAJunkie.com)

Chad Mendes and Urijah Faber have many similarities, including their weight class, collegiate wrestling...

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Where Faber faltered, UFC 142's Mendes thinks he can succeed against champ Aldo

Chad Mendes and Urijah Faber have many similarities, including their weight class, collegiate wrestling experience and the Team Alpha Male camp they both call home. But when it comes to the cage, there are stark differences. That's why Mendes - who on Monday was issued a UFC 142 title shot with UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo - said fans shouldn't predict the same fate Faber suffered against the dangerous Brazilian titleholder.

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Jose Aldo headed home for UFC 142 title-defense against Chad Mendes

UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo will fulfill a lifelong dream when he fights in front of friends, family, and countrymen on January 14 at UFC 142 where he will defend his title against undefeated grappler Chad Mendes. The event, previously rumored but now confirmed by the UFC, is believed to be taking place in Rio de Janeiro as their South American stop in August did. Mendes has been very vocal concerning his belief that he has the dynamic Brazilian’s number based in large part on Aldo’s lackluster wrestling. With eleven wins in eleven attempts, as well as victories over apt adversaries such as Rani Yahya, Michihiro Omigawa, and Erik Koch, the 26-year old Californian’s claims certainly can’t be completely dismissed. Mendes Sees Glaring Holes in Aldo’s Attack The 20-1 Aldo is coming off a fairly one-sided outpointing of Kenny Florian at UFC 136 and will be putting his belt up for the third time since crossing over from WEC. He is currently on a thirteen fight winning streak including success against Mike Brown, Manny Gamburyan, Mark Hominick, and Urijah Faber. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

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Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes Confirmed for UFC 142 in Brazil

The next UFC Featherweight title fight is set, as champion Jose Aldo will face Chad Mendes at UFC 142 on January 14. The bout has been confirmed at UFC.com: After the success of UFC Rio in August, UFC officials promised that they would stage another event in the country as soon as possible. That return has now been confirmed as UFC 142, to be held January 14 in a to-be-named Brazilian city. Besides the date, a title-fight main event was also confirmed. Pound-for-pound superstar Jose Aldo will fight in Brazil for the first time since 2007 when he defends his UFC featherweight title against unbeaten powerhouse Chad Mendes. Jose Aldo has been the combined WEC / UFC Featherweight champion for over two years. He's defended the belt a total of four times, including two defenses in the UFC. During this time, he's moved up the ranks to be considered one of the top pound for pound fighters in the world by many fans and analysts. Chad Mendes poses an interesting threat to the champion. The 11-0 fighter is a wrestler who trains with Aldo's former for Urijah Faber as part of Team Alpha Male. He's also 2-0 in the UFC. That wrestling background will make him a unique challenge for Aldo. So far, Aldo has not faced a fighter who has focused his game and taking down the champion and grinding him out. We've also seen Aldo struggle with the weight cut to 145 pounds and talk openly about leaving the division. Against Mark Hominick, Aldo slowed in the later rounds. Mendes, like his Alpha Male teammates, can push a furious pace. He's never been in a five round championship fight, but if he can keep the pace on Aldo, it could be his path to upsetting the champion. Look for more updates on the UFC's return to Brazil in the coming weeks. Jose Aldo (20-1)W - Kenny Florian (Unanimous Decision, UFC 136)W - Mark Hominick (Unanimous Decision, UFC 129)W - Manny Gamburyan (KO R2, WEC 51 Chad Mendes (11-0)W - Rani Yahya (Unanimous Decision, UFC 133)W - Michihiro Omigawa (Unanimous Decision, UFC 126)W - Javier Vasquez (Unanimous Decision, WEC 52)

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Jose Aldo defends title against Chad Mendes at UFC 142 in Brazil

UFC featherweight phenom Jose Aldo‘s wish came true today when it was revealed the dynamic Brazilian will get a chance to defend his divisional title in front of a hometown crowd when the UFC returns to the South American hub on January 14 for UFC 142. As expected, Aldo will face undefeated Team Alpha Male representative Chad Mendes. Aldo and Mendes could be the start of an America vs. Brazil rivalry, as the two will likely be one of numerous pairings involving the clash of nationalities and also meet a few months before a likely encounter between UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen. For Aldo, the bout will mark the first time he has fought in Brazil since 2007. “Scarface” is 20-1 in his career and has won thirteen straight fights including back-to-back decision victories to defend his UFC title against Kenny Florian and Mark Hominick. Mendes (11-0) is 2-0 in the UFC since the company folded in the WEC. He has won seven of his fights via decision and two each by KO and submission. “Aldo hasn’t lost in over five years, but Mendes has yet to lose in MMA, and after clearing out all the contenders put in his way, he believes he has what it takes to beat the champion,” said UFC President Dana White in a recent interview with FOX Sports’ website and has since been announced by the UFC. A venue for the title fight has yet to be decided, but rumors have mentioned Rio de Janeiro as a possible site meaning the promotion would likely return to the HSBC Arenar where UFC 134 was held. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, title, brazil, aldo, mende

UFC 142: Jose Aldo defends his featherweight title against Chad Mendes on Jan. 14 in Brazil

Jose Aldo is coming home. (He's coming home. Tell the world, he's coming home.) After defeating longtime veteran Kenny Florian a little over three weeks ago at UFC 136 in Houston, Texas, Aldo already has his next fight lined up, against undefeated wrestling powerhouse, Chad Mendes. Only this time, Aldo will be fighting on his home soil. It will be the first time he has done so since May 2007. UFC President Dana White broke the news today to FOXSports.com: "Pound-for-pound superstar Jose Aldo will return home to fight in Brazil for the first time since 2007 when he defends his UFC featherweight title against unbeaten powerhouse Chad Mendes. Aldo hasn't lost in over five years, but Mendes has yet to lose in MMA, and after clearing out all the contenders put in his way, he believes he has what it takes to beat the champion." "Scarface" will be trying to add to his impressive 13-fight win streak, which includes notable victories over such superstars as Urijah Faber and the previously mentioned Florian. Team Alpha Male's Mendes is undefeated in his young mixed martial arts career, boasting a record of 11-0 just three years into the game. This will be, without a doubt, his stiffest test to date. Mendes and Aldo were originally set to collide at UFC 133 this past August, but the injury bug forced the featherweight champ to bow out. Instead of riding the pine to preserve his title shot, Mendes opted to stay on the card and defeated a very game Rani Yahya. UFC 141 will take place in Brazil on Jan. 14, 2012, the second such trip for the world's largest fight promotion in the past six months. No word on whether or not Aldo vs. Mendes will be the main event of the evening. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on this still-developing fight card.

Posted in: aldo, mende, ufc, home, fight

Jose Aldo Defends Featherweight Title Against Chad Mendes in Brazil at UFC 142

Jose Aldo’s next title defense is set. As expected, Chad Mendes will challenge Aldo for his UFC featherweight title, but catch is he’ll have to do it in hostile territory. That’s right, the fight is set to go down in Brazil on Jan. 14 when the UFC returns to Rio de Janeiro for UFC 142. Following an initial report from Tatame, Dana White confirmed the news with FOXSports.com. Fighting in his home country of Brazil, Jose Aldo will defend his UFC Featherweight Title Jan. 14 in UFC 142 against undefeated fighter Chad Mendes, FOXSports.com has learned. “Pound-for-pound superstar Jose Aldo will return home to fight in Brazil for the first time since 2007 when he defends his UFC featherweight title against unbeaten powerhouse Chad Mendes,” UFC president Dana White told FOXSports.com. “Aldo hasn’t lost in over five years, but Mendes has yet to lose in MMA, and after clearing out all the contenders put in his way, he believes he has what it takes to beat the champion.” Beating Jose Aldo in any country is a tall order. Beating Jose Aldo in Brazil might be next to impossible. Chad Mendes could be the guy to do it though. His Division 1 wrestling game might be the answer for Aldo’s lightening fast speed and devastating striking. We’ll find out in January. Image via Tracy Lee for Yahoo! Sports

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Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes set for UFC 142 in Brazil

A UFC featherweight title fight between champion Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes has been set for UFC 142. Foxsports.com broke the news earlier today. The fight was originally supposed to take place at UFC 133 but linguring injuries to Jose Aldo forced the event to be postponed. Aldo is coming off a recent win over Kenny Florian at UFC 136. Aldo is currently riding a thirteen fight winstreak dating back to 2006. Aldo will be looking to defend his UFC title for the third time. Chad Mendes defeated Rani Yahya at UFC 133 to stay in contention for the title. Mendes is 11-0 in his career and has used his dominant wrestling base to overwhelm most of his opponents. UFC 142 is tenatively set for January 14 at the HSBC Arena in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Expect more bout announcements to made in the coming weeks.

Posted in: ufc, aldo, chad mendes, mende, bout announcements

Jose Aldo to Face Chad Mendes January 14th. The story, which was originally posted on Fox Sports,...

Jose Aldo to Face Chad Mendes January 14th. The story, which was originally posted on Fox Sports, also mentions Aldo's relationship with Anderson Silva and Mendes' friendship with Chael Sonnen.

Posted in: jose aldo, aldo, mende, aldos relationship, mendes friendship

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Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes Square Off for Featherweight Gold at UFC 142

Filed under: UFC, NewsLess than a month after successfully defending his UFC featherweight belt, champion Jose Aldo has his next assignment. The Brazilian will return home and attempt to extend his current run of dominance over the division in a stern test against undefeated American Chad Mendes. The bout will take place at UFC 142 in Brazil, though an exact venue has yet to be officially announced. UFC president Dana White broke the news to FoxSports.com on Monday night. The matchup comes as no surprise. Shortly after Aldo defended the belt in a win over Kenny Florian at UFC 136 on October 8, White said that Mendes was his likely next challenger. Aldo (20-1) has not lost a fight in six years, and has won 13 in a row. Since winning the WEC championship in Nov. 2009, Aldo has defeated all four of his challengers, even as the promotion was absorbed by the UFC and the belt was re-christened as the UFC championship. Mendes is a perfect 11-0 in his career. He debuted under the Zuffa banner in March 2010 and has won all six of his fights. His most recent bout came against Rani Yahya at UFC 133, a fight which he won by unanimous decision. Some have speculated that Mendes, a former two-time collegiate wrestling All-American, could give Aldo trouble by employing his grinding style. Thus far in his career, though, Aldo has been up to the challenge. According to FightMetric, he's only been taken down twice in his last 10 fights, and has successfully defended 94 percent of the takedown attempts against him. The Aldo vs. Mendes fight is the first one officially announced by the UFC for the January 14 event. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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Jose Aldo vs Chad Mendes in 2012 Confirmed

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MMA Top 10 Featherweights: Is Mendes the Man to Challenge Aldo?

Filed under: DREAM, UFC, Bellator, Rankings, FeatherweightsJose Aldo is continuing to run roughshod over the rest of the featherweight division, improving his professional MMA record to 20-1 with a unanimous decision victory over Kenny Florian at UFC 136. So does anyone at 145 have a chance against Aldo? So far it hasn't looked like it. It's not just that Aldo has won every single one of his fights since coming to North America at WEC 34 in 2008. It's that none of his fights have been close. He's shifted from being a knockout artist to usually winning one-sided decisions, but he really hasn't been tested by anyone. Is Chad Mendes the man to change that? He's certainly the most worthy challenger to Aldo's title. We'll run down the top of the featherweight division below. Top 10 featherweights in MMA (Number in parentheses is the fighter's previous ranking.) 1. Jose Aldo (1): After struggling to cut down to 145 pounds, Aldo has talked about moving up to lightweight, but I think that would be a mistake. I don't think he has the frame for 155, and I think he'd really struggle against big lightweight wrestlers. In fact, I think he might struggle against a good featherweight wrestler like ... 2. Chad Mendes (2): The undefeated Mendes was a good college wrestler and may be the opponent to put Aldo on his back and keep him there. If there's anyone in the featherweight division who represents a threat to Aldo, it's Mendes. 3. Hatsu Hioki (3): Hioki is the big question mark in the UFC's featherweight division. He's about to make his UFC debut after going on a great run in Japan, and if he can make the adjustment to the cage and the North American unified rules, he could be a title contender: Hioki's reach, high-volume striking and active guard make him a tough puzzle to solve. Unfortunately, the recent track record of Japanese fighters coming to the U.S. has not been good. Hioki makes his debut against George Roop at UFC 137. 4. Pat Curran (NR): Curran has looked sensational since dropping from lightweight to featherweight, and after seeing him knock out Marlon Sandro, I think he's the best featherweight outside the UFC. Bellator has a strong featherweight division, and fights with Joe Warren or Patricio "Pitbull" Freire would be great matchups for Curran. 5. Erik Koch (8): Koch looked good in his September victory over Jonathan Brookins, which improved his record to 13-1, with the only loss coming against Mendes. At age 23, Koch has a very bright future ahead of him. 6. Mark Hominick (7): After taking several months off following his loss to Aldo, Hominick will return at UFC 140 against Chan Sung Jung in what should be an outstanding battle. 7. Kenny Florian (4): It's tough to see where Florian goes from here. He's good enough that he's earned three title shots in his career, but not good enough to win any of them, or even be competitive in any of them. And at age 35, with 20 pro fights under his belt, it's not like he's suddenly going to get a lot better. Still, I hope we haven't seen the last of Florian. He can have a gatekeeper role at either featherweight or lightweight, even if he's done fighting for belts. 8. Tyson Griffin (NR): Featherweight -- not lightweight -- has always been the right weight class for Griffin. It was the right weight class for him when he beat Urijah Faber in 2005, and it's the right weight class for him now, after he's moved back down from lightweight and beaten Manny Gamburyan. Up next for Griffin is a featherweight fight with another former lightweight, Bart Palaszewski, at UFC 137. 9. Tatsuya Kawajiri (NR): Another former lightweight dropping down, Kawajiri put on a good show in submitting Joachim Hansen at Dream.17. I'd like to see the UFC add Kawajiri to its featherweight roster. 10. Dustin Poirier (9): The 22-year-old Poirier is a rising star at featherweight. He gets Pablo Garza on the undercard of the November 12 UFC on Fox event. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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Chad Mendes sets sights on Jose Aldo

Chad Mendes is 11-0 in his career and, if he has anything to say about it, Fight #12 will be against Jose Aldo for the UFC featherweight title. Mendes is widely considered to be the #1 contender, a spot he solidified in August with a win at UFC 133 over Rani Yahya. After watching Aldo defeat Kenny Florian at UFC 136, Mendes believes he has all the tools to do what Florian and Mark Hominick couldn’t – finish five strong rounds with “Scarface.” “I think with my wrestling credentials, my strength, my athleticism, I don’t think he’s faced anybody like that year,” said Mendes, in an interview with MMAFighting “And for me to get in there, put him on his back and take him out of his comfort zone, I think that’s going to be key to beating a guy like that.” Mendes has went the distance in each of his last four fights and trains with athletes like Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez in Sacramento, California as part of Team Alpha Male. He was a standout wrestler in college, advancing to the NCAA finals as a senior. In Aldo, he will be facing a man many consider to be the next Anderson Silva. Aldo is also ranked highly in the pound-for-pound rankings, something that is driving Mendes to train even harder. “He’s the guy that everyone looks at as unbeatable, and he’s got this hype around him like no one can beat him,” Mendes said. “I want to be the guy to get in there and take that belt from him.” PHOTO CREDIT – WEC/UFC

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'Money' talks: Chad Mendes wants to be the guy to take the belt from Jose Aldo

Jose Aldo is not moving up to lightweight. At least, not yet. That's probably the best news Chad Mendes has gotten all week, as the undefeated featherweight patiently waits for his crack at the 145-pound crown. "Money" was hoping to cash in his expected title shot at UFC 136; however, that honor went to Kenny Florian, who pulled rank on the Team Alpha Male wrestler and took over as top contender. Not that it did him any good. After five rounds of action at the "Edgar vs. Maynard 3" pay-per-view event on Oct. 8, 2011, "KenFlo" was once again sent to the back of the line. Mendes, meanwhile, racked up another unanimous decision win (his fourth straight) by outlasting Rani Yahya at UFC 133 back on Aug. 6. And as he tells MMA Fighting, the belt is going to be his "sooner or later." "My time is going to come. I've only been doing this for three years. I've got 11 fights into my career. I've got plenty of time. That belt's going to be mine sooner or later. It's just hurry up and wait ... I think with my wrestling credentials, my strength, my athleticism, I don't think he's faced anybody like that yet. And for me to get in there, put him on his back and take him out of his comfort zone, I think that's going to be key to beating a guy like that. He's the guy that everyone looks at as unbeatable, and he's got this hype around him like no one can beat him. I want to be the guy to get in there and take that belt from him." The idea of Mendes being able to defeat Aldo, perhaps a year ago, seemed unlikely. But after back-to-back fights inside the Octagon, "Junior" looks content to ride out the clock and let the scorecards do the talking -- a far cry from the deadly finishes fans saw while he competed in the WEC. Is Aldo playing it safe? Or just fighting better competition? And does anyone think he'll have trouble fighting Mendes off his back? How do you see this potential title fight playing out?

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Chad Mendes thinks Kenny Florian could have beaten Jose Aldo

With 11-0 Chad Mendes up next in the long line of talented contenders UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo has thus far fended off with relative ease, the Team Alpha Male representative has already started studying the belt-wearing Brazilian in anticipation of their future fight. Mendes recently offered up his assessment of Aldo’s performance this past weekend at UFC 136 where he supported the notion Kenny Florian could have actually emerged a winner based on what he saw. “Kenny definitely could have won that fight,” Mendes explained to MMAJunkie. “I just think it was probably the weight cut. You could tell he slowed down, and it looked like he got a little weak throughout the fight… If he was able to keep that same pace and the strength that he had throughout that first round, he would have been able to beat Aldo. But I think he just kind of faded off.” Florian Reflects on Loss to Aldo Not only did Mendes like what he saw from Florian but what he didn’t see from Aldo – an overwhelmingly good takedown defense, a factor that has the accomplished grappler salivating like a lion in front of an injured gazelle. “(Florian’s win was) just another fight to build my confidence,” said the 26-year old Californian. “That and the Mark Hominick fight…seeing that Aldo can be taken down.” “He’s going to be uncomfortable being on his back. That’s my strength, and that’s where I want to put him,” he concluded. The undefeated youngster, who mentioned his interest in rounding out the top of a Super Bowl Weekend card against Aldo, is 2-0 since joining the UFC after picking up four wins under WEC’s banner. Both victories were the result of decisions, the most recent of which occurred in August against Rani Yahya at UFC 133. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

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Jose Aldo Likely to Defend UFC Featherweight Title Against Chad Mendes Next

After seeing UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo outpoint Kenny Florian to retain his title in Saturday’s UFC 136 co-main event, UFC President Dana White is “pretty sure” Chad Mendes will challenge Aldo next, unless lightweight champ (and fellow UFC 136 winner) Frankie Edgar drops to 145-pounds. “I’m pretty sure [Aldo will fight Mendes next],” White said after UFC 136. “But we’ll see. Maybe Frankie calls me and says he wants to move to 145. We’ll see what happens.” While his title shot isn’t yet official, the unbeaten Mendes is already discussing the likely fight, telling MMAFighting he sees his wrestling as the difference in the matchup. “I think with my wrestling credentials, my strength, my athleticism, I don’t think he’s faced anybody like that yet,” Mendes said. “And for me to get in there, put him on his back and take him out of his comfort zone, I think that’s going to be key to beating a guy like that. He’s the guy that everyone looks at as unbeatable, and he’s got this hype around him like no one can beat him. I want to be the guy to get in there and take that belt from him.” For the latest UFC news and UFC rumors stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com. Pictured: Jose Aldo (via UFC.com)

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Despite champ Aldo's win, Mendes even more confident he can take the title (MMAJunkie.com)

It's hard for Chad Mendes not to pedal a little bit faster, lift weights a little longer, and push for that...

Posted in: weight, chad mendes, chad, mende, champ aldo

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Unbeaten Chad Mendes Ready to Hunt for Gold Against Jose Aldo

Filed under: UFCJust a few days before traveling to Houston last weekend, Chad Mendes was in Wyoming's wide open spaces, hunting mule deer. But now, his sights will shift to some other, much more dangerous big game. Mendes was in attendance at Houston's Toyota Center to watch Jose Aldo's win over Kenny Florian at last Saturday's UFC 136, and he believes he'll receive the next opportunity to fight for the featherweight championship. At least in the immediate aftermath, UFC president Dana White seemed to agree, saying he was "pretty sure" it would happen. So it's likely just a matter of when. Mendes hopes it's soon. Above all else, the native Californiana likes to challenge himself, and to stay busy. That's why the unbeaten (11-0) 26-year-old risked No. 1 contender status a few months back to fight at August's UFC 133. "My time is going to come," he said. "I've only been doing this for three years. I've got 11 fights into my career. I've got plenty of time. That belt's going to be mine sooner or later. It's just hurry up and wait." Coming from his wrestling background, Mendes says that he would fight every month if he could, feeling that constant competition would keep him sharp. But now he's willing to wait a bit for the chance to take home his division's most coveted trophy. In the meantime, he will find other ways to occupy himself. Mendes is an avid outdoorsman, who likes to fish and hunt. And recently, he ran his first-ever half-marathon. Asked how he did, Mendes said "not too bad, but not anything great," saying that his "little, short legs" didn't work well over long distances. Turns out, he did very well, as research shows he clocked 1:40.52 in the Los Gatos (CA) Jungle Run Half-Marathon, finishing 11th in his age group. Even more impressive, he did the race in the midst of his preparation for the Rani Yahya UFC 133 fight, with about one month to go. Mendes said he got inspired to add more running and cycling into his training after learning more about Mike Tyson's pre-fight preparations, and said he believed it helped him in the bout against Yahya, leaning out his body and improving his stamina. In his mind, the latter could pay big dividends against Aldo, who looked good in the late rounds against Florian, but struggled badly in the last round of his UFC 129 fight against Mark Hominick. "He started grappling a lot more and got tired," he said. "It's a different type of conditioning. I know I'm going to be in great shape in that sense, the grappling sense. And I know he's going to be in great shape in the standup part, because he's going to go out there looking to finish me with some kind of knee or big shot from his hands. But taking him into my world, taking him on the ground and making him work to get up, it's going to tire his ass out, and I'm looking forward to taking that belt from him." Mendes is able to break down his impeding matchup objectively, noting that his standup is "nowhere near" Aldo's. But if you acknowledge that, he says, you must also acknowledge that Aldo's wrestling, while "pretty good" for someone who didn't grow up doing it, is not in Mendes' league. Mendes began wrestling at the age of five, competed all through high school, and was a two-time All-American in college. To date, his wrestling has been one of his best weapons, as he's notched 27 takedowns in his six fights under the Zuffa banner. He's also never been taken down. But his striking has been a bit undervalued, as he's landed 47 percent of his significant strikes, according to FightMetric. By comparison, Aldo lands 49 percent of his significant strikes and has stopped an impressive 94 percent of takedown tries against him, making the matchup quite a challenge for Mendes. "I think with my wrestling credentials, my strength, my athleticism, I don't think he's faced anybody like that yet," he said. "And for me to get in there, put him on his back and take him out of his comfort zone, I think that's going to be key to beating a guy like that." Prior to the fight, Mendes predicted an Aldo win, and more than that, he hoped for it. The way he figures it, if you're going to go try to win the belt, you might as well try to take it from the best. For better or worse, the big-game hunter has his target set. "He's the guy that everyone looks at as unbeatable, and he's got this hype around him like no one can beat him," Mendes said. "I want to be the guy to get in there and take that belt from him." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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Despite champ Aldo's win, Mendes even more confident he can take the title

It's hard for Chad Mendes not to pedal a little bit faster, lift weights a little longer, and push for that takedown a little harder. Mendes is planning to put Jose Aldo on his back, after all, and after watching Saturday's UFC 136, he's more convinced he can do so. "He's going to be uncomfortable being on his back," Mendes today told MMAjunkie.com. "That's my strength, and that's where I want to put him."

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Chad Mendes Likely Next Title Challenger for Jose Aldo

Filed under: UFC, NewsHOUSTON -- Jose Aldo had barely caught his breath after a five-round unanimous decision win over Kenny Florian in a UFC featherweight championship defense when his future was already being decided. Aldo may need a rest after the grinding fight, but when he's ready to get back in the cage, he's likely to be facing unbeaten Chad Mendes, according to UFC president Dana White. When asked if Mendes was the next No. 1 contender, White agreed, but with a caveat. More Coverage: UFC 136 Results "I'm pretty sure, yeah," he said. "But we'll see. Maybe Frankie [Edgar] calls me and says he wants to move to 145. We'll see what happens." Edgar, though, made it pretty clear after his fourth-round TKO win over Gray Maynard that a move to featherweight is his ace in the hole, and it's not a move he plans to make while he still holds the lightweight championship. Unless he has a change of heart, that should clearly leave Mendes in position to try to unseat Aldo. Mendes is 11-0 after notching an August decision over Rani Yahya, and he told MMA Fighting on Friday that he was hopeful of the matchup. "I think I match up better than anybody in the division," he said. "Obviously my standup is nowhere near his. I'm not an idiot. I know that. But, I think with my wrestling credentials, my strength, my athleticism, I don't think he's faced anybody like that yet. And for me to get in there, put him on his back and take him out of his comfort zone, I think that's going to be key to beating a guy like that." Aldo moved to 20-1 by beating Florian. The win was his 13th straight. %VIRTUAL-Gallery-136100% Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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Undefeated Mendes predicts Aldo win at UFC 136, wants next crack at champ

HOUSTON - Chad Mendes is excited to watch UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo defend his title against challenger Kenny Florian at Saturday night's UFC 136 event in Houston. That said, he's not exactly happy about it. "It's definitely a little frustrating," Mendes admitted to MMAjunkie.com at this weekend's UFC Fan Expo Houston 2011.

Posted in: ufc, saturday night, houston, chad mendes, mende