UFC 179: Aldo vs Mendes 2

[CurryAngel]

Regarding the end of round 1, I think it would have been physically impossible for Aldo to just halt his combination at the sound of the buzzer. I think the second of the 3 was just about to land and - with the adrenalin pumping - the only way the 3rd wouldn't land would have been for the ref to throw himself in front of it.

 

Haven't watched much MMA in this last year but the main event was an absolute cracker. Aldo's striking, chin and stamina were incredible and his takedown defence is ridiculous. Was good to see him throw more combinations than in his recent fight and Mendes deserves credit for bringing out the best in him and deserves a ton of credit for his performance.

 

Totally agree on McGregor. The reaction for the UFCs 'biggest' star was lukewarm at best and, whilst I can see why so many people like him, I just find his schtick boring. Think the likes of Mendes and Edgar are a step too far and Aldo throwing combos like that would just blitz him.

 

Why fly him out to Brazil if he's fighting Siver?

[Powerful_Fox]

Again, I am very much a novice when it comes to UFC but I agree with CurryAngel, the momentum of Aldo was clear at the end of the first round for that combo. The growing kick and two eye pokes (albeit accidental) seemed worse for me. I also wasn't a fan of the foot stomping but I suppose Mendez had little alternative to try and get Aldo down at that point and by the reactions was perfectly legal so fair enough.

 

That Connor bloke looked like a right prick though so hopefully Aldo does knack the piss out of him.

[wandshogun09]

No. You're all wrong. Conor McGregor's going to win. Whether he wants to or not.

 

Seriously though, I don't see how that fight last night proves definitively that Aldo smashes McGregor. Don't get me wrong, I'll be picking Aldo to win. At this point picking against him would be like picking against Anderson when he was at his absolute best. It's hard to bet against him. But Aldo has always been this awesome. Last night wasn't some revelation. He was just finally in with a guy who could push him. If Lamas or Zombie could've threatened Aldo like Mendes did last night, I've no doubt we'd have seen the same Aldo we saw last night. McGregor might well be in deep shit against Aldo, but nothing I saw last night makes me think that any more than I did a week ago or a month ago.

 

McGregor's striking is completely different to Mendes'. He's southpaw His movement is totally opposite. His range and reach could come into play as well. He's quicker than Mendes and I'd say a bit more accurate. He's definitely a more complete striker. Mendes is, in simplistic terms, a very good wrestler/boxer. He doesn't kick much, knee much or elbow much. Doesn't do flying or spinning shit. Doesn't mix his strikes up all that much. He's got big power and his boxing is very good for MMA, but all Aldo had to think about were punches and takedowns. And Mendes didn't even mix in takedowns until later in the fight. McGregor's a totally different style of fight. Aldo won't have wrestling to worry about, but he'll have a lot more to watch out for on the feet.

 

So yeah, I'll be picking Aldo. But I would've before last night anyway. I'm still of the opinion that McGregor probably matches up better with Aldo than he does with Mendes.

 

Anyway...

 

Fucking incredible fight. I'd have to rewatch Hendricks vs Lawler 1, but this has possibly pipped for FOTY so far for me. If not it's a close second. It saved an otherwise dire show, that's for sure.

 

Regarding the end of round 1, I think it would have been physically impossible for Aldo to just halt his combination at the sound of the buzzer. I think the second of the 3 was just about to land and - with the adrenalin pumping - the only way the 3rd wouldn't land would have been for the ref to throw himself in front of it.

Yeah, that was unfortunate. But like you say, he'd already committed to a three punch combination and with his speed, by the time the buzzer went the first two had already landed and the third was already on its way. Apparently both Aldo and referee Marc Goddard said they didn't even hear the buzzer due to the crowd being so loud. I can believe that. I know there was a bit of shit talk going in but Aldo isn't a dirty fighter. Goddard said there were points were he couldn't hear the ten second warning or anything, over the crowd, and he was having to keep an eye on the clock as well as the action. They need to address that. Get a louder buzzer or something to allow for these mental crowds like Brazil and Ireland.

 

Tremendous fight though. Proper edge of the seat feeling throughout. Aldo needs stuff like this. Whereas Anderson Silva or Jon Jones would completely wreck an outmatched opponent most of the time, Aldo seems to need to feel like he's under threat to really bring the best out of him. It's actually a shame he's 2-0 over Mendes because a third fight would be about the most interesting in the division along with McGregor vs either of them.

 

I thought Stann had an off night. It was a competitive fight and Mendes certainly had his moments. He hurt Aldo a bunch of times which no-one has done before. But Stann was acting like it was a lot closer than it was. He seemed to have the Stars & Stripes tinted spectacles on throughout the fight. I had Aldo 49-46. Four to one. I had Mendes taking only the fourth round, and even that was largely down to Aldo seeming to just take the round off. All the other rounds were Aldo's IMO. Even the ones where Mendes dropped him or hurt him, Aldo would always seem to come back and hurt him worse or twice.

 

Rest was pretty crap. Davis smothering Glover was boring as fuck. I totally get why he did it because it was really his only way to win the fight but that doesn't undo how shit it was to watch. Still impressive how he shut Glover down though. I actually hope they match up Davis and Ryan Bader now. Shit as it will no doubt be. At least that'll be one boring fight instead of matching them up with other guys resulting in two boring fights. Fuck it. Throw them at each other and let them be dull together.

 

I'd like to see Glover vs one of Shogun or Manuwa next. Give him a striker.

 

Maldonado fight was horrible until his comeback. The post-fight stuff with Anderson was pretty cool. Elkins fight was fucking shite. Ferreira looked flat as Arianny's arse. Maybe he was overtrained because of the quick turnaround and short notice. He didn't look the same fighter as he did against Nijem and Smith.

 

Wilson Reis breezing through Jorgensen was a surprise. Jorgensen is floundering these days. Reis looked great though.

 

Fili vs Arantes was good.

 

I like Gilbert Burns. I hope he gets a main card slot next time out.

 

So yeah, in summary - Decent prelims, shit PPV undercard and a fucking brilliant main event.

[d-d-d-dAz]

Well, that was quite something.

 

I'll start with something, apparently, controversial; I really enjoyed the Phil Davis fight. I don't find wrestling in and of itself, boring and I appreciate how fucking hard it is. The Elkin performance, by comparison, was boring and nearly a disgrace. Elkin clinched and held for the sake of clinching and holding, he wasn't looking to strike in the clinch particularly (well, not after the first half of the fight anyway), he gave up on his dirty boxing after the first round and he wasn't really committing to the takedowns. He won the first round well, and then held on to win his 'octagon control' points and go on to win the fight with little interest in committing to a finish attempt.

 

Bullshit.

 

Davis, on the other hand, showed the best striking we've seen from him, nice and varied, used it to set up takedowns, which he'd use to transition to a dominant position to work his ground and pound and finish the fight. It wasn't as visceral as what was to come but it was an absolute clinic and I enjoyed watching it. Some of the leg vining and wrestling nuances in his game were really special, stuff you don't always see in MMA. I loved the cradle.

 

So, yeah, good fight.

 

The main event was fucking exciting.

 

I sort of lost track of scoring because it was so fun, but I don't think you can grumble with the decision (Dan Henderson is a dick for saying Mendes was 'robbed'). Mendes scored some takedowns, mind, and I think if Mendes had gone in as the defending champ, the fight probably would have been given the other way. It was very, very even and I think champions prerogative helped in the end.

 

I'm not Conor's biggest fan, but you can't watch Aldos performance last night and say Conor is going to get destroyed; they'll be vastly different fights. Aldo/Mendes started the fight in a kickboxing match, and then quickly ended up in a boxing match; both styles meant they sat in the pocket, bit down on their gum shield and traded. Aldo bet on his chin, his jab and his ability to get the best of the exchanges. Save for Mendes occasionally adopting the 'Parkinsons Shuffle' in his striking, there was little head movement and little attempt to create angles from either man.

 

Aldos good, technically he's better than Conor and he's way more experienced BUT even he wouldn't dare plant his feet and just stand down wind of Conor. McGregor has a bigger range, he has that crazy karate-ish foot placement and that weird 'Fighting Irish' guard and he just glides in at a crazy angle, pop-pop-pop and then he's away again out of range.

 

It will be a different Aldo, a different gameplan and a different fight against McGregor; anything could happen.

 

If Aldo fights like last night against McGregor, as impressive as it was, I'd tentatively say Conor would win.

 

It looks like I opened and closed with something controversial. Go figure.

[wandshogun09]

I've probably come off harsh on Davis. Like I say his own performance was very impressive. I actually like him as a personality as well. I didn't enjoy the fight though. But really, Glover's inability to fend off Davis' wrestling and his being gun-shy on the feet as a result is as much to blame for that.

 

I do agree Davis' striking has come on a lot though. I noticed that in the Machida fight as well. Say what you want about that Machida decision but Davis was competitive on the feet for spells and that surprised me. He stood with Glover early on as well, when Glover's most dangerous. A few years back he used to do that Brock Lesnar thing where he'd shy away in the striking exchanges but he's clearly put the hours in sparring the last few years. Fair play.

 

I don't think you can grumble with the decision (Dan Henderson is a dick for saying Mendes was 'robbed').

I meant to mention this. Caught it on twitter earlier. It's got to be the old American wrestler blind bias. Even if you think he won, you can't possibly call Aldo winning that fight a robbery.

 

I think if Mendes had gone in as the defending champ, the fight probably would have been given the other way. It was very, very even and I think champions prerogative helped in the end.

I'd hope not. I don't think Mendes got the better of any round outside the fourth. I'll rewatch it, maybe you could give him another round in there. But I definitely felt like Aldo, even when he got tagged or dropped, always came back and got the last word in.

 

I've always hated that 'champions advantage' thing. In Boxing and MMA. It's retarded. Fights should always be scored on a completely level playing field. I don't think champions should get the nod in every close fight just because they're the champion. That only encourages lazy judging IMO. If you outpoint the champ, even if it's squeaking by on one point difference, I think you should be given the same treatment as the champion and be awarded the decision.

[Noah Southworth]

I fully stand by my assertion that Aldo will wreck McGregor and will be more than willing to eat humble pie if I'm wrong.

[jimufctna24]

I presume Aldo will be a lot more varied with his striking against McGregor.  Last night, Aldo mainly stuck to his boxing. I would assume this was because he did not want to risk Mendes scoring takedowns. 

 

That said, McGregor's striking is a lot more advanced than Mendes's striking. McGregor is a lot more diverse and ambitious with his work as well. Aldo vs McGregor will be a very different fight to Aldo vs Mendes.

 

I am unsure how Aldo vs McGregor will play out. There are not many clues. To state the obvious, I am just hoping Siver does not throw a spanner into the works.

[wandshogun09]

Conor McGregor @TheNotoriousMMA

Toasting whiskey to a phenomenal contest. Respect and congrats to both competitors. Rest up well. The King is coming.

 

You know it was an awesome fight when even McGregor doesn't take digs at his potential two biggest rivals.

 

Almost forgot, I liked Aldo's little line post-fight;

 

"I'm the King, Mendes is the Prince, and I guess now we have a Joker."

[CurryAngel]

Personally I think it would be suicidal to try all that Spinny stuff against Aldo. He's too seasoned and probably see's that every day in training. Him countering that would be an easy days work.

 

I've only seen 2 McGregor fights but it seems he throws that stuff more as a diversion than anything? If so Aldo just side steps and brings back the leg kicks of doom

 

I really think he should move up to 155. If Pettis beats Melendez then that is THE biggest superfight out there.

[d-d-d-dAz]

It's not really about the spinning, or the more flamboyant strikes he tries on occasion. That shit doesn't win fights. It's the timing of the attacks and the angles you create; winning by right cross or winning by spinning axe kick, it's the same thing. The real skill is the timing, the fluidity of the movement and the angles.

 

Aldo sidestepping anything, and then mounting an attack of his own, relies on him being able to time Conor, and there's no proof yet that that is an easy task.

 

Anyone who stands downwind of McGregor is in bother.

 

I'd pick Aldo for that fight, but if he fights like last night I don't think he'll win.

 

That said, I think moving forward, Conor's biggest weakness could be how far out he sticks his lead leg; IF Aldo times him, he could really kick the shit out of that leg as Conor moves in. That'd be the secret of beating McGregor, trying to find his rhythm, staying elusive and working his legs to slow his movement.

 

It won't be easy though. Mendes has functional striking, but it's a pop song, so to speak, with a predictable, repetitive rhythm; so far Conor has proven to be a fucking acid jazz improv.

[jimufctna24]

Personally I think it would be suicidal to try all that Spinny stuff against Aldo. He's too seasoned and probably see's that every day in training. Him countering that would be an easy days work. I've only seen 2 McGregor fights but it seems he throws that stuff more as a diversion than anything? 

McGregor has more than spinny stuff to work with. 

 

It was discussed in a previous thread that striking in MMA is evolving.  Some fighters are using different angles, and exploring more advanced techniques. McGregor is a example of this. 

 

Not to say Aldo's striking is outdated. His hand speed and combinations were outstanding last night. But if Mendes can clip Aldo, I see no reason why McGregor can't.

[d-d-d-dAz]

I'll tell you what though, what a waste of a fucking call-out by Phil Davis.

 

I appreciate his sticking his neck out and calling SOMEONE out, but a 38 year old Silva who's clearly after one last tilt at the MW title? Bollocks.

 

Use it to improve your career.

 

Call out the winner of Rashad/Gus, call out Cormier/Jones. Jesus.

 

It was like that twonk recently who called out a retired Wanderlei Silva. Idiot.

[wandshogun09]

It won't be easy though. Mendes has functional striking, but it's a pop song, so to speak, with a predictable, repetitive rhythm; so far Conor has proven to be a fucking acid jazz improv.

Ha, very well put.

 

But if Mendes can clip Aldo, I see no reason why McGregor can't.

Exactly. If Mendes, with his T-Rex arms and bread and butter boxing style, was able to crack Aldo more than once, drop him and hurt him etc, I find it hard to believe McGregor isn't capable of doing the same.

 

Aldo vs McGregor is actually a fascinating match up of striking styles. I think people saying either man gets smashed are more talking out of wishful thinking than anything based on real substance, to be honest. We simply don't know what McGregor's ceiling is yet so any talk of Aldo wrecking him is pretty much just guesswork at this point. My hunch is Aldo wins, but I wouldn't be overly confident in predicting that fight either way.

 

Phil Davis' callout of Anderson Silva was bizarre and pretty ridiculous. There is no way the UFC even consider that. It's dead on arrival. The size difference, the fact they're in different weight classes, the style of match up isn't appealing, it makes no sense whatsoever. At the stage Anderson is at in his career, he doesn't have too many fights left, wasting one of them on Phil Davis would be absolutely mental. And Davis isn't stupid, he knows that. Baffling.

 

I understand he's in a funny spot. He's a team mate of Gustafsson, he's already lost to Rashad, he's unlikely to get a title shot with the Jones-Cormier-Gustafsson logjam likely to take up most if not all of 2015. He's in a weird place. But even if he called out a Bader or the Shogun-Manuwa winner or just declared that he's coming for the title, it'd make a hell of a lot more sense than calling out a middleweight legend who's coming back off a year layoff.

[d-d-d-dAz]

Manuwa/Davis would be a fun fight.

 

Manuwa's an absolute savage but would he be able to throw as many evil leg kicks with Davis takedowns? Would Davis be happy shooting as much, knowing Manuwa has razor sharp, lethal knees?

 

I like that fight a lot.

[jimufctna24]

it won't be easy though. Mendes has functional striking, but it's a pop song, so to speak, with a predictable, repetitive rhythm; so far Conor has proven to be a fucking acid jazz improv.

very well put 

 

 

My hunch is Aldo wins, but I wouldn't be overly confident in predicting that fight either way

 

Exactly

 

Plus unlike Mendes, McGregor is not going to stand right in front of Aldo.  Also, Aldo will probably throw more leg kicks against McGregor than he did against Mendes.

 

Styles make fights

 

Aldo vs McGrgeor is a very tough to call. But I am fairly certain McGregor has the ability to clip Aldo.