In a fight where both fighters scored knockdowns in the opening round and both had opportunities to finish the fight. Jose Aldo was able to defend his UFC Featherweight Championship by defeating Chad Mendes thanks to the judges sitting cageside rendering a unanimous 49-46 scores for the champion at UFC 179 which took place at Maracanazinho Gymnasium in Rio de Janeiro Brazil.
The Source.com had the match much closer with the score being 48-47 in favor of Aldo. “That was the best featherweight title fight ever,” a very please Dana White said after the fight.
Aldo has extends his winning streak to 18-wins in a row and has not lost a fight since November 26, 2005.
Jose Aldo celebrates after his unanimous-decision victory over Chad Mendes in their featherweight championship bout Saturday at UFC 179 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
“I think every fight is the toughest fight of my career,” Aldo said. “I think I deserved to win. He hit me a few times but I hit him a lot more. But congratulations to Chad Mendes. I have respect for him, his whole team and family. Inside (the cage) it is a rivalry, but outside we’re friends.”
Mendes (16-2), who lost the first meeting via first-round knockout made an excellent showing for himself after experiencing a little déjà vu by getting rocked at horn at the end of round 1 which seemed to come after the bell. No point was deducted — which ultimately would not have changed the outcome of the fight, but obviously could have had a lasting effect on Mendes’ performance.
Despite being much more hesitant after the after-the-bell knockdown, Mendes landed a straight left punch late in the next round which helped him win the round. After four rounds of outstanding fast and furious action Source.com had the fight tied at two rounds a piece for each fighter.
Mendes finally scored a takedown in the final round, but did little with it, as Aldo worked to a seated position along the fence and eventually back to his feet. Both fighters looked tired but still capable of throwing bombs, despite a pace that saw a combined 270 total strikes landed (Aldo 143, Mendes 127), according to Fightmetric.
Both fighters, despite being only a few minutes removed from going through a toe-to-toe war with each other had a particular featherweight on their mind.
Care to take a guess who?
If you guessed the “Notorious” Conor McGregor you are spot on.
Aldo did not refer to the surging Irishman by name but did take the time to take an unmistakable shot at him.
“I’ll face anyone they put me in front of me,” Aldo said. “I’m here as the champion. The court is complete. I’m the king, Chad is the prince and now we have a joker.”
While Mendes chimed in with his own call out of the “Notorious” one.
“The one person lucky that decision didn’t go my way is Conor McGregor,” Mendes said. “I’m still looking forward to whooping your a–, buddy.”
McGregor, who attended the bout,is scheduled to fight Dennis Siver on Jan. 18 in Boston. A win by the hard hitting trash talking Irishmen, will all but setup a mid-summer title clash with Aldo who has the only UFC title left in a proud Brazilian hands.
