Tonight's UFC 189 event will take place from the MGM Grand in Las
Vegas, Nevada as the highlight of the organization's international fight
week, which features a variety of events and adds an extra hype for the
card, but it hasn't been without its share of controversy. The current
Featherweight champion, Jose Aldo was scheduled to defend his title
against rising star, Conor McGregor, but the Brazilian sustained a rib
injury, which derailed plans. It's a bizarre situation, as UFC doctors
diagnosed Aldo with bruised ribs and he was medical cleared to fight,
but the champion's own physician determined he had broken ribs, leading
Aldo to cancel the bout. After the anticipated contest was scrapped,
there was some criticism toward Aldo, but he attempted to silence those
detractors when he posted images of an X-ray of his rib online to show
the extent of the injury. This would suggest that the UFC medical staff
misdiagnosed Aldo, but the outspoken UFC President, Dana White responded
and claims that the images Aldo provided were from an old injury, and
the champion didn't think he could make weight with bruised ribs so he
decided not to fight. Anyone that suggests that the UFC didn't disclose
the injury in an attempt to keep the fight on the card is extremely
misguided and the UFC wouldn't risk the liability for an injury. It's
certainly a murky situation for all involved, but the bottom line is,
Aldo wasn't going to fight so with less than two weeks before the
pay-per-view, the UFC announced Chad Mendes as a replacement for an
intern title fight.
Conor McGregor, who is 5-0 in the
UFC, is being promoted as the promotion's next top star and he seems to
have the mics skill, as well as the ability in the cage to become
extremely marketable. The charismatic Dublin native, is somewhat similar
to retired middleweight Chael Sonnon, in terms of talking to hype a
fight, but McGregor actually has the skills to live up to the hype. With
an overall record of 17-2, McGregor brings a dynamic style and
excellent striking to the octagon, and in the process, generated a buzz
for the Featherweight division that hasn't been seen in the UFC. As a
company, the UFC could definitely use another main stream star, as many
of the top draws from years prior have retired or been tainted with a
scandal. Jon Jones, who was thought to be the future of the sport a few
years ago, was arrested on hit and run charges in April, which prompted
the UFC to strip him of the Light Heavyweight title. He was also
suspended indefinitely and some have speculated that he might not fight
again. Anderson Silva, who is considered the most dominate fighter in
the history of the UFC, tested positive for steroids after a fight in
January. Both Brock Lesnar and George St. Pierre retired a few years ago
so obviously, the UFC is looking for the next main stream star. Outside
of Rhonda Rousey, who generates main stream publicity for the UFC?
That's not to say that the UFC doesn't have a great roster because the
talent is certainly there, but from a business prospective, the company
needs another main stream draw for the box office.
Conor
McGregor could be the next marketable star for the company, but the
Aldo cancellation puts him in a tough spot because in some ways, he has
nothing to gain if he wins, as he will still have to fight Aldo in a
unification bout. Chad Mendes, who took the fight on short notice,
essentially has nothing to lose because if he's defeated, it's the
McGregor win many fans expected, but if he wins, he gets a rematch with
Aldo. Mendes has a record of 17-2 with his only losses being the Aldo
fights and he's a tough test for McGregor, considering he has an
extensive wrestling background, which is an area where Mcgregor hasn't
really been tested so far in his UFC career. Mendes is a legitimate
threat to McGregor's path to the title, but who wins at UFC 189?
In
my opinion, the grappling aspect will be the main key and could
determine the fight. While Mendes has powerful punches, McGregor has the
striking advantage and could use it to finish the fight in the early
rounds. However, if Mendes gets a take down, he could control the fight
and use the cardio advantage to win a decision. I will pick Conor
McGregor to get the win, but anything is possible so it should be an
entertaining fight. This is definitely not an easy fight for McGregor,
but if he's victorious, it sets the stage for the Aldo fight, which
translates to major major for the UFC and the potential for their next
main stream star.
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