2. UFC 189: McGregor vs Mendes
Conor McGregor always seemed destined for big things, but it cannot be overstated how much of a breakout party it was for him at UFC 189 in 2015. Up to that point, McGregor had only headlined two events: one on Fight Pass in his native Ireland, and another on Fox Sports 1 against the unheralded Dennis Siver. But that Fourth of July was set to be the biggest one yet, a grudge match against unquestioned featherweight kingpin José Aldo.
The UFC pulled out all the stops with a never before seen world tour that took both Aldo and McGregor everywhere from Brazil to Ireland. It was an undertaking of epic proportions, and McGregor took a stranglehold of the spotlight in taking barbs at the champion. He famously threw darts at photos of Aldo, ripped his photo in half in front of a throng of people in Brazil, and stole Aldo’s belt from the dais in Ireland. By the time summer rolled around, anticipation for the fight had reached a fever pitch.
Two weeks out, an injury to Aldo pulled him from the contest. But the show went on, with McGregor instead facing former title challenger Chad Mendes. After walking out to live music for the first time in promotional history, it appeared the best laid plans of McGregor and the UFC would be dashed. Mendes dominated McGregor with his wrestling in the first five minutes and it appeared the Irishman would have no answer for his grappling. In the second round, an exhausted Mendes found himself unable to keep McGregor down and “The Notorious” delivered an emphatic fight ending sequence to claim interim gold. It was a scene the United States had not seen before, with droves of Irish fans having made the trip to see McGregor and joining the legion of his supporters stateside who were enamored with the personality of brash talker. It was the birth of the biggest pay-per-view star the sport had ever seen, and one those who witnessed it would never forget.
Fans were spoiled that night. Minutes before McGregor and Mendes made the walk, welterweight champion Robbie Lawler and challenger Rory MacDonald put on an all-time classic that to this day is on the short list as the greatest fight of all time. The back-and-forth war had plenty of moments, with Lawler starting strong early but MacDonald turning the tide late. After twenty minutes of escalating carnage, MacDonald had simply accumulated too much damage and a broken nose was the final nail in the coffin that led to the end of the fight. Years later, moments from the fight are referenced easily: The lip. The stare.
McGregor would go on to defeat Aldo later that year, and the following year won the lightweight title to become the UFC’s first two-division champion. Lawler would go on to defend the welterweight title one more time against Carlos Condit. But without a doubt, UFC 189 was remembered as a critical night in the legacies of both men.
