UFC 189 was a whirlwind of magnificent violence. And when the dust all settled and Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes engaged in an excellent main event, the organization was left with a card that will be etched into the minds of MMA fans for years to come.
MMA Fighting summed up all the action rather nicely:
Just to recap, UFC 189 had: --McGregor’s coronation --One of the greatest fights in UFC history --Two other FOTY candidates --KO of the year
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) July 12, 2015
By the end of the night, there was a lot of blood, a championship defended and a new interim champion in the featherweight division. Here's a look at the complete results and a closer look at the effect of the biggest fights of the night.
Main Card (Pay-Per-View, 10 p.m. ET)
- Conor McGregor defeats Chad Mendes via TKO (punches), Round 2, wins interim UFC featherweight title
- Robbie Lawler defeats Rory MacDonald via TKO (punches), Round 5, defends UFC welterweight title
- Jeremy Stephens defeats Dennis Bermudez via knockout (flying knee), Round 3
- Gunnar Nelson defeats Brandon Thatch via submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1
- Thomas Almeida defeats Brad Pickett via knockout (flying knee), Round 2
Prelims (Fox Sports 1, 8 p.m. ET)
- Matt Brown defeats Tim Means via guillotine choke, Round 1
- Alex Garcia defeats Mike Swick by unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
- John Howard defeats Cathal Pendred by split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)
- Cody Garbrandt defeats Henry Briones by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Early Prelims (UFC Fight Pass, 7 p.m. ET)
- Louis Smolka defeats Neil Seery by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Cody Pfister defeats Yosdenis Cedeno by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Jeremy Stephens Gets on the Highlight Reel
Things didn't look good for Jeremy Stephens on Friday night. The bantamweight missed the 145-pound mark by 3.5 pounds. Usually, not making weight is a sign of some kind of issue. Whether it be injury or a bad camp, it was enough of an omen to make those such as Adam Martin of MMA Oddsbreaker be concerned heading into the bout:
Jeremy Stephens missed weight by 3.5lbs. I was going to pick him but will have to re-evaluate now. Don't recommend betting him now though.
— Adam Martin (@MMAdamMartin) July 10, 2015
Those concerns looked legitimate when Bermudez came out and took the first round. The Menace scored a takedown and opened up a 43 to 8 advantage in the striking department according to FightMetric.
But Stephens wasn't to be denied. He continued to hang around and got the better end of the striking in the second round to set up an epic third round. It didn't take long in the third round for Stephens to show how he has 26 knockouts in his career. He uncorked a hellacious flying knee that stopped a charging Bermudez in his tracks and followed up with strikes that ended the fight.
All told, it was a huge win for Stephens. The Lil' Heathen was coming off two losses in a row and desperately needed something to swing momentum in his favor. A win over Bermudez—who was ranked No. 8 in the division at the time of the fight—puts him right back on track.
It doesn't appear as though these two are done with one another yet, though. After the fight, Bermudez went to social media to say that UFC President Dana White offered him a rematch. The hashtag would lead fans to believe it will take place at UFC 192 in Houston, Texas.
Dana just offered me a rematch and I accepted. #192
— Dennis Bermudez (@MenaceBermudez) July 12, 2015
Given how exciting this matchup was, that's a bit of matchmaking fans shouldn't mind.
Robbie Lawler Defends Title Only Way He Knows How—With Brutality
There's a violent fight. And there's the display that Rory MacDonald and Robbie Lawler put on in the co-main event. The two welterweights took it to a new level.
MacDonald suffered a broken nose and foot, per Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting. Lawler came away with a severe cut on his lip. Both fighters went to pal around at the hospital after the Ruthless One had his hand raised in victory:
The first round was an extended feeling out period for both fighters, but after that it turned into an all-out war. Both fighters stood within striking distance and did their best to end the fight. In the fifth and final round Lawler seemed intent on putting an end to the bout.
It turned out to be a good decision. Despite the close nature of the four previous rounds, MacDonald was headed for a decision victory, per MMA Fighting:
Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald UFC 189 scorecard http://t.co/6tykmFCCtO pic.twitter.com/1wechNi8cZ
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) July 12, 2015
In the end, this was a fight that really had no losers. Both fighters put on a great show. For MacDonald, the loss is disappointing. This is the second time in his career that Lawler has killed his momentum in the cage. But after watching that bout, there's no doubt that he's on-par with the elite of the division.
For Lawler, this legitimizes him as a champion. Plenty of exciting options lie ahead (Carlos Condit, anyone?), but he's a threat to make anyone's night miserable with his power and willingness to stand and trade.
The welterweight division is an exciting one in the UFC right now.
Conor McGregor Backs Up the Talk
Love him or hate him, he's not going anywhere. Conor McGregor proved all the doubters wrong with a second-round TKO win over Chad Mendes in a thrilling conclusion of UFC 189.
Make no mistake, there are still questions for McGregor. Mendes appeared to be in control of the fight for most of the second round. The Alpha Male wrestler was able to secure four takedowns in the two rounds. The wrestling question hasn't been completely answered.
What we do know is that if opponents take McGregor down they'd better keep him there. It doesn't take him long to turn a fight around on the feet.
The Notorious One tired Mendes with body shots in the first round, but he set his sights on the chin with his opportunities in the second. It didn't take long for him to end the bout once he did. A beautiful straight left hand buckled Mendes and signaled the end.
The Irish featherweight then took to the mic to let everyone know he's ready for whatever challenge the division presents him with.
"I've been hearing all the while that I've been protected from this kind of opponent, that I've been gifted a title shot," McGregor said, per CBS News. "So when my title shot went running and they gave me the challenge I was supposed to be protected from, I (decided) that I'm just going to prove to people that I'm a true fighter. It doesn't matter who it is, I'll show up and I'll put a finish on any fighter."
Of course, the title shot that "went running" he's referring to is Jose Aldo. The Brazilian was supposed to be McGregor's opponent Saturday, but an unfortunate rib injury forced him off the card.
It's a fight that will be even more in-demand now. With McGregor silencing any doubts as to whether he's worthy of his title shot, the only thing left to do is find out who the real champion is. It's a fight that already has McGregor's manager thinking of historically big buyrates, per Brett Okamoto of ESPN:
McGregor's manager, @AudieAttar: "Aldo fight will clear 2 million PPV buys. Quote me on that."
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) July 12, 2015
Whenever a unification fight happens, one thing is for sure: People will tune in. With the win, McGregor officially announced himself as one of the biggest stars in the UFC. Jeremy Botter of Bleacher Report makes a compelling case that he's the biggest star in the organization.
This was a huge step in the right direction for McGregor to fulfill that role. He battled through adversity and came out with a belt on the other side. One final obstacle remains, but he's already proven that he can make the featherweight division must-see TV.
Just call it the Conor McGregor Show.
