UFC 189: Mendes vs McGregor
Conor McGregor always seemed destined for amazing things. Consider this, in the meteoric rise of “The Notorious” he actually had a year-long layoff after just his second fight in the UFC. Perhaps it only served to help prepare fans for everything he would one day bring.
At the time, McGregor had only headlined UFC two cards. One was on Fight Pass for an event in his native Ireland. The other was for a FOX Sports 1 card in Boston against the undhearlded Dennis Siver. McGregor knew how to promote himself, that much was obvious. But, the UFC gave him the biggest stage it had ever bestowed a fighter when they paired him with José Aldo for a world tour to promote their title match. McGregor went viral at seemingly every stop, with videos of him throwing darts at pictures of Aldo or ripping it in half appearing across major news outlets. Perhaps his most infamous incident was taking the belt from the dais in front of Aldo in front of a raucous Irish crowd.
Aldo did not make it to the fight with McGregor that particular Fourth of July. But, the event had so much fan interest that there was never a possibility of cancellation. McGregor faced Chad Mendes on short notice despite being a drastically different opponent. Mendes stylistically posed many problems for McGregor, but the Irishman would not be denied as he knocked out Mendes in the second round.
Most importantly, the response to McGregor was tremendous as the number of Irish fans who packed the arena that night was astounding. They added to the already considerable contingent who were already supporting McGregor. “The Notorious” ascended from fan-favorite to box-office kingpin seemingly in the span of an event, and it’s been made clear that the UFC has no plans to move backwards with him.
If that wasn’t enough, Robbie Lawler battled Rory MacDonald in a five-round epic minutes before the main event. It was a back-and-forth affair that overwhelmingly won Fight of the Year. Both men elevated their status considerably after the bout. Lawler was renowned as arguably the most tenacious competitor in this era of the UFC and MacDonald showed his championship heart that he was at-times criticized for not having.
The event marked a new beginning for the UFC. It was the first event to debut the Reebok fight kits and was the only time the headliners walked out to live music.
UFC 213 will be taking place on July 8th. Will it live up to the tradition of these past events? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
