The number one-ranked UFC featherweight thinks that Aldo is too fast and too powerful for the Notorious
Mendes made an appearance on Submission Radio recently, in which he discussed his upcoming fight with Ricardo Lamas. After predicting that his heavy hands will put Lamas to sleep in the bout, the interviewer questioned him about a certain, charismatic Irish fighter in the division.
Unsurprisingly, Mendes played down Conor McGregor’s talents as a fighter, saying that he would struggle against an elite wrestler. However, Money conceded that he has backed up his supreme confidence so far.
You know ultimately he’s not my favourite guy, but when it comes down to it, he’s doing everything he needs to do. I mean he’s beaten every person that the UFC has put in front of him.
I’d really like to see him get in there and actually fight, one of us wrestlers; the guys that are in the top three before he gets a title shot, but you know it is what it is.
Mendes was unimpressed with McGregor’s all-out demolishing of Dennis Siver at UFC Boston. He claimed that he didn’t see any significant improvement in McGregor’s overall ability from that fight.
I feel like that was the same Conor we’ve seen every single time. I mean I haven’t seen any major improvements or anything, but you know in my opinion I don’t think [Dennis] Siver was the test that he needed, to get in there to fight for the title next.
With regards to the Notorious’ prospective title fight against long-standing Jose Aldo, Mendes doesn’t see it going too well for the Dubliner.
(Aldo’s) a black belt in Jiu Jitsu, but also we’ve seen him blast double guys. He can wrestle, he can take people down, he’s athletic enough to where he can adapt and do those kind of things.You get a guy like Conor where I think Aldo is going to be faster than him.
We saw Conor get tripped a few times by Siver’s short little leg kicks. You know with Aldo’s speed and power, he’s going to chop those legs down and if for whatever reason he’s getting tagged up at all in the feet,
He then reaffirmed his prediction for the outcome of the fight.
I can see him blast double and taking this dude down and just staying on top of him. We’ve seen him do it in other fights with other elite strikers, so I think that’s always a possibility. I don’t think Conor’s going to beat Aldo. No.
Hat-tip to Bloody Elbow
