Conor McGregor’s performance has made waves.
We’ve already looked at the Twitter reaction to The Notorious’ second round victory over Chad Mendes in the early hours of this morning.
Darragh Murphy, one of our resident MMA experts, has given his take on the Dubliner’s win and our live blog will keep you updated with reaction throughout the day.
Here though, we’re looking at how some of the world’s media reacted to McGregor’s victory.
Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times wrote: “Conor McGregor puts up and doesn’t shut up after beating Chad Mendes.”
His previous claims appeared suspect considering the quality of recent competition, but while fighting Mendes, who has lost two title shots at Aldo, McGregor met his proving ground.
A polished wrestler, Mendes answered McGregor’s early left hands with a first-round takedown and some ensuing punishment on the ground. McGregor was cut near the right eye.
McGregor’s major accomplishment Saturday was proving his colorful talk and fight hype were backed by championship skill.
Damon Martin, Fox Sports: “Love him or hate him, Conor McGregor is the new face of the UFC.”
Conor McGregor proved he could talk the talk and walk the walk as he defeated Chad Mendes to win the interim featherweight title on Saturday night. And whether you love him or hate him, McGregor is now the new face of the UFC.
Once the fight started, McGregor found out what it was like to tangle with a former NCAA championship runner-up as Mendes planted him on the ground several times and even opened a big cut up over his eye.
The second round saw a similar performance with Mendes taking McGregor down again, and it started to look like the luster on the Irishman’s golden future was starting to get tarnished.
Once the fight worked back to the feet, McGregor showed the heart of a true champion as he came after Mendes with everything he had in his arsenal and it only took a few hard punches landed before the bout came to a conclusion.
Dave Doyle, MMA Fighting Talk: “Conor McGregor rallies past Chad Mendes, claims interim title.”
The one big question which lingered throughout Conor McGregor’s meteoric rise through the UFC featherweight ranks was how he’d fare when he squared off with an elite wrestler.
Saturday night, he was forced to confront those questions when he was thrown in with one of the sport’s finest wrestlers, Chad Mendes, in the main event of UFC 189 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas an interim featherweight title fight.
Consider the question answered.
Matthew Ryder, Bleacher Report: “Conor McGregor vs. Chad Mendes: What We Learned from UFC 189 Interim Title Fight.”
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
It was the night McGregor truly arrived as an undeniable, top-end UFC talent. People have had questions about the way he was matched, whether he could beat a wrestler and whether he could work hard at a high pace for a long time.
Saturday night was the night that people got their answer. The Notorious is for real.
Karim Zidan, Bloody Elbow: “UFC 189: Mendes vs. McGregor – Winners & losers.”
Conor McGregor talked a big game ahead of UFC 189. With unwavering confidence and undying intensity, he proclaimed himself champion and the uncrowned king of the featherweight division. Whether it be the law of attraction, or simply sheer talent and determination, the brash Irishman lived up to each of his bold proclamations.
Against Mendes, McGregor was forced to withstand some elite wrestling, which was accompanied with furious, slashing elbows and brutal punches. However, late in the second round, McGregor found his opening and poured his soul into the final fight-ending punches.
It was McGregor’s defining performance to date, as well as the UFC’s reward for their high-risk investment in the late replacement main event.
Kyle Smith from Canadian sports website The Score: “McGregor flattens Mendes to capture interim UFC featherweight title.”
Conor McGregor lived up to the hype, and he’s walking away from UFC 189 with the interim featherweight title firmly strapped around his waist.
Long-considered a protected contender who the UFC wouldn’t throw in against a power wrestler, the impossibly brash Irishman survived a terrifying trial by fire against Chad Mendes, finishing the division’s best wrestler with a brain-scrambling left cross in the waning moments of the second stanza.
While Gareth A Davies of The Telegraph wrote:
Three minutes in, two minutes on the ground with Mendes top control. But he is exhausted… McGregor was comfortable on the bottom. Once they got to their feet, McGregor finished Mendes who had nothing left. Boom, boom, boom, left hands. TKO McGregor.
The interim featherweight champion – Conor McGregor. Very emotional with relief.
And Brazilian MMA website Combate wrote: “McGregor passes struggle, but fulfills promise and hits Mendes in the 2nd round.”
Conor McGregor returned to show he is a man of his word. During the week, he warned, would beat Chad Mendes in the second round. And at 4m57s of that assault, he imposed to beat the American by TKO and won the interim belt featherweight (66kg up).
It is true that the Irish became suffocating.
He lost the first round and also lost the following, struggling to cope with the American wrestling. The fitness weighed to the athlete’s Team Alpha Male, who accepted the confrontation just 15 days before UFC 189. Tired, did not support the power of rival blows, which led him to the canvas and left with arm raised.
At the time of the knockout, the Irish fans raved at the MGM Grand and many beers were thrown into the air by the sellout crowd.
