Mendes criticizes McGregor's stance: 'If I were Aldo, I would have punched him in the face'

Mendes (photo) has already been defeated twice by Aldo. Photo: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

Last challenger for the UFC featherweight belt, Chad Mendes disapproved of the stance of Conor McGregor at the press conference held this Tuesday (March 31), in Ireland, during the UFC 189 promotional events. According to the North American fighter, McGregor crossed the line by “stealing” the champion's belt, José Aldo, and said that he would have a different attitude if he were the target of the provocations.

Even though he was visibly irritated by the situation, Aldo limited himself to just cursing his opponent. Mendes stated that, if it were him in the Brazilian's place, he would have resorted to physical aggression.

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“You don’t touch someone else’s belt. If I were Aldo, I would have punched him right in the face. I don't know. Honestly, I feel bad for Aldo, that he had to go through all this with that idiot. That guy must be the most annoying person to go on tour,” said Mendes, in an interview with the North American website “MMA Junkie”.

Mendes, who has already been defeated twice by Aldo, believes that the featherweight champion will not be shaken by McGregor's provocations. “Aldo is a champion and has been for a long time. He has that champion mentality. You're not going to shake a guy like him by talking nonsense. He's been in the sport for a long time and has seen guys like McGregor. I don’t think any of this will influence how the fight goes,” he commented.

Precisely for this reason, Mendes predicts Aldo's victory, although he recognizes that McGregor could cause some problems for the Brazilian. “In my opinion, analyzing the fight, I see Aldo winning. I can see McGregor bringing some problems. Aldo has had difficulties with left-handers in the past, but he always ends up figuring them out. One thing Conor does very well is use his distance. He has long arms, punches very well and stays away. This could be a problem for Aldo. But McGregor uses a very open stance, and Aldo has one of the best low kicks in the sport. If McGregor doesn't protect, Aldo will end up with that leg. McGregor always says he moves fluidly, but in all the fights I've seen, he doesn't move his feet much. We will see. I’m really looking forward to this fight”, added the American.

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