'I'm going to knock him out, submit him or make him cry for five rounds,' says Mendes about McGregor

C. Mendes (photo) will be in the main fight of UFC 189. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC

Chad Mendes took on the responsibility of making the main fight of UFC 189, on July 11th, in front of Conor McGregor, quite short notice. The North American, scheduled to replace the injured José Aldo, believes that he will be fully capable of making a gala performance at the event, even though he was confirmed for the fight less than two weeks in advance.

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In an interview with the website of the North American broadcaster “FOX Sports”, Mendes stated that he sees himself beating McGregor and winning the interim featherweight belt in different ways. “I see myself beating this guy in three ways. Either I'm going to knock him out and leave him unconscious, because he drops his hands several times, or I'm going to take him down and submit him, or I'm going to leave him with his back on the ground, crying and asking for his mother, during five rounds, giving him a beating. I don’t see a problem in any of these three ways”, declared the North American.

Mendes, whose only defeats in his career were against Aldo, believes he will give McGregor a tougher fight than the linear champion would, precisely because of each man's style. “We all know that Aldo is a super athlete, very dangerous in his striking, but it is against guys with these characteristics that Conor performs best. We've never seen him against guys who use wrestling, who have the explosiveness to close the distance with him. The guys who have already beaten him were the ones who put him down. I feel like this is a big loophole. My style, with my wrestling, my physical preparation, my speed, knockout power in my hands, makes for a terrible fight for him”, he analyzed.

The North American also minimized the possibility of making a bad performance due to the limited training time. “I have two weeks to get as fit as I can. I have a healthy lifestyle, so I stay in pretty decent shape all year round. I'm just making some adjustments now, but I won't get injured and I'll make weight. You will see the old man Chad Mendes get there on July 11th and give it a beating”, he added.