Conor McGregor's showdown with Chad Mendes might not be what fans wanted, but it's what they will get Saturday in Las Vegas.
It's a doozy, regardless.
Jose Aldo was the original fighter meant to take on UFC's hottest commodity, but either way, fans will win when the two step into the Octagon thanks to Mendes' heavy-hitting ways.
Never mind the fact that the rest of the card is bottom-to-top stacked with familiar faces and bouts sure to leave a lasting impact on multiple divisions.
It's not an event to miss. Here are the details and fights to watch.
UFC 189 PPV Schedule
Date: Saturday, July 11
Fight Times (ET): Fight Pass at 7 p.m.; Fox Sports 1 prelims at 8 p.m.; pay-per-view at 10 p.m.
Location: Staples Center in Los Angeles
Live Stream: UFC.tv
UFC 189 Card
| UFC Fight Pass 7 p.m. ET | Pick | |
| Matchup | Division | |
| Neil Seery vs. Louis Smolka | Flyweight | Smolka |
| Yosdenis Cedeno vs. Cody Pfister | Lightweight | Cedeno |
| Fox Sports 1 Prelims 8 p.m. ET | ||
| Matchup | Division | |
| Matt Brown vs. Tim Means | Welterweight | Means |
| Mike Swick vs. Alex Garcia | Welterweight | Swick |
| Cathal Pendred vs. John Howard | Welterweight | Howard |
| Cody Garbrandt vs. Henry Briones | Bantamweight | Briones |
| Main Card 10 p.m. ET (pay-per-view) | ||
| Matchup | Division | |
| Gunner Nelson vs. Brandon Thatch | Welterweight | Thatch |
| Brad Pickett vs. Thomas Almeida | Bantamweight | Almeida |
| Dennis Bermudez vs. Jeremy Stephens | Featherweight | Stephens |
| Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald | Welterweight | Lawler |
| Chad Mendes vs. Conor McGregor | Featherweight | McGregor |
UFC.com. Author's picks.
Top Fights
Brad Pickett vs. Thomas Almeida
Thomas Almeida remains one of the hottest commodities in the UFC.
The undefeated 23-year-old Chute Boxe product decimates the opposition in different ways. Per FightMetric.com, he lands a ridiculous 7.82 significant strikes per minute on 51 percent accuracy. His opponent, Brad Pickett? Just 3.18 on 31 percent.
Still, Almeida refuses to take the opposition in a light manner.
Mike Bohn and Christian Stein of MMAJunkie.com caught up with him about the fight: “Brad Pickett is extremely tough; it’s an honor to fight him. He has a lot of experience fighting the best athletes in our weight class, not only as a bantamweight but also as a flyweight. If I get past him, it will be a great leap for my career."
This looks like an easy enough pick. Pickett has lost two in a row and stands without a win since March 2014. He also has yet to enter the Octagon this year.
Still, any fight involving Almeida at this point is worth the price of admission.
Prediction: Almeida via TKO.
Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald
It's an odd, odd card when a showdown between Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald doesn't receive a ton of hype due to other fights.
Or just a stacked one.
For Lawler, the lack of press thanks to the Mendes-McGregor showdown isn't a problem. In fact, it might be a bonus.
"That does not bother me at all," Lawler said, per Sherdog.com’s Mike Sloan. "I don’t care if I’m the first fight or the last fight; I’m going to go out there and showcase my skill. ... I just stick to what I do and that’s train hard and concentrate on myself. I let the UFC do the promoting.”
Sounds great, right? These two are elite fighters, and both need this one in a bad way. MacDonald is elite, but he's not living up to the hype of Georges St-Pierre yet. Lawler needs to continue his epic roll or the 33-year-old San Diego native risks fading into obscurity.
These two are right down the middle. Both land better than 3.5 significant strikes per minute at above 43 percent accuracy. Both hit on 55 percent or better in takedown accuracy and 65 percent in takedowns defended. In 2013, they fought to a close decision in favor of Ruthless.
Look for the same result. The champion can use his experience from last time out to defend the title.
Prediction: Lawler via decision.
Chad Mendes vs. Conor McGregor
It's odd to think Mendes is an underdog.
Sure, he lost to Aldo two fights ago, but he still hits almost 50 percent of his strikes and touts a takedown accuracy of 54 percent. He even continues to improve as a wrestler while acting as one of the division's most dangerous strikers.
While it's time to leave the McGregor hype behind, there's a reason for it.
McGregor himself is pretty confident, as MMAFighting.com's Ariel Helwani captures:
Dana White on Jim Rome just now: McGregor offered to bet White and Fertitta 3 million dollars that he will finish Mendes early.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 7, 2015
McGregor is the winner of three dating back through 2014 for good reason. He fights in a flurry, averaging 5.72 strikes per minute. He keeps opponents at bay with his unique stance and is competent when things hit the mat.
Some will point out UFC's fastest-rising star is just like Floyd Mayweather—great at self-promotion and mowing through iffy competition. Others believe the hype.
This one is a 50-50, which makes it a major win for fans. It will reveal whether McGregor is the real deal. For now, the safest route is to think his ability to keep Mendes at range will help him eventually score a decision.
Prediction: McGregor via decision.
Stats and info courtesy of FightMetric.com unless otherwise specified.
