Interim UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor is no stranger to making remarkable claims, so perhaps it’s little surprise that according to the fighting Irishman, he beat Chad Mendes in his previous bout “on one leg.”
McGregor notched a knockout victory over the American at UFC 189 in July, securing the belt. However, speaking at a Q&A session with some fans in Dublin, The Notorious opened up about a nasty injury he suffered in the buildup to the fight, per Danny Segura of MMAFighting.com:
Fourteen weeks before the fight I tore 80 percent of my ACL. I could barely walk, I could barely kick. I had a lot of experience coming back from that injury. I was aware of my body, I was aware of my balance. I had a good team around me. I trusted everyone that was there. That's how I perform.
So, once again, I had a lot of adversity to overcome. But honestly, I went into that fight and I beat Chad on one leg. After going through that adversity I feel like I have gained three new legs.
McGregor was scheduled to face pound-for-pound king Jose Aldo back in July, but the Brazilian champion was unable to defend his title after suffering a rib injury during preparations. Mendes stepped to challenge for the interim title, and despite starting the fight well, McGregor sent him to the canvas with a devastating left hand in Round 2.
Here’s a reminder of the thrilling finish, per BT Sport UFC:
.@TheNotoriousMMA KOs @ChadMendes to become Interim @UFC Featherweight Champion! #UFC189 http://t.co/fT1HTm09ws
— BT Sport UFC (@btsportufc) July 12, 2015
McGregor and Aldo will face off at UFC 194 on December 12 in what will be one of the most hotly anticipated showdowns in the promotion's history.
The revelations from McGregor, if to be believed, certainly paint a picture of a fighter who was desperate to make it to the Octagon in July. Early on in the fight, he was caught by Mendes and did look a little static, eating a few sharp punches from his opponent. But McGregor is a fighter who is never overly difficult to hit.
They're claims you can bet McGregor will want Aldo to hear. The Irishman has been critical of Aldo previously after the manner in which he pulled out of the previous fight, insisting “I’m still not sold he’ll show up” for the December showpiece at a Takeover Q&A, per Rory Brigstock-Barron of the MailOnline.
UFC commentator Jon Anik thinks that after his win over Mendes, there are a lot of people expecting McGregor to make good on his promises of beating Aldo:
On Dec.12th, Conor McGregor is a -170 favorite against perhaps the greatest MMA fighter of all-time. Jose Aldo = +140. That's respect.
— Jon Anik (@Jon_Anik) September 30, 2015
However, Aldo has shown throughout his career that he’s a class act inside the Octagon. As we can see here, the Brazilian looks to be in devastating shape during his pre-fight camp, too:
The injury to Aldo and subsequent frustration when he pulled out has left many UFC fanatics desperate to see these two go toe-to-toe inside the Octagon. McGregor beating a strong competitor like Mendes in such an emphatic style has also made him a much more legitimate contender to beat the Brazilian, who has never lost in the UFC.
It’s possible McGregor embellished the details of his injury a little, and it’d certainly be a disservice to a quality fighter like Mendes to say he did beat him with such a disadvantage. If he can better the levels he showcased against the American as drastically as he claims, then it's going to be a very uncomfortable evening for Aldo at UFC 194.
