C. Mendes (photo) suffered the only defeat of his career to Aldo, in 2012. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
The change of venue for the long-awaited rematch Chad Mendes against José Aldo did not take the focus away from the challenger for the UFC featherweight belt. Originally, the fight was scheduled to take place in August, at UFC 176, in Los Angeles (USA), but an injury to the champion canceled the event and forced the fight to be rescheduled for Rio de Janeiro, in the same city where they faced each other for first time, in 2012.
Despite being upset with the change, Mendes stated that he is still completely excited for the fight, which will take place next Saturday (25), in the main attraction of UFC 179. “You know, I was very excited to fight in front of my fans and my family, fans, everyone who loves and supports me. Many people had already bought tickets and booked hotels to watch the fight. Many of them won't be able to go to Brazil now. That's what upsets me the most, because I was very excited to win this belt in front of all of them. And now they will have to watch it on TV at home”, explained Mendes, in an interview with the official UFC website in Brazil.
However, the challenger paid several compliments to Brazil. “This is probably what upsets me the most, but Brazil is a wonderful place. The last time I was there it was wonderful. We managed to have fun at the beach. The beaches are beautiful, the women are beautiful, I love Brazilian food. I end up gaining a little weight every time I go there. Apart from the fact that I won't be fighting with my fans present, it will still be a lot of fun”, concluded the North American.
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