Javier Mendez News

Cole Shelton - March 2, 2019

When Khabib Nurmagomedov took on Conor McGregor at UFC 229, it resulted in the biggest pay-per-view in promotional history. The event did well over two million PPV buys, and in the end, Nurmagomedov beat McGregor in the fourth round by submission.

Drake Riggs - February 21, 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkCDAmxmWGM It took the UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov a few months after his massive title defending win over Conor McGregor at UFC 229 to finally receive his fine and suspension from the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC). Of course, the punishments came in response to the post-fight scuffle that ensued following the fight between both Nurmagomedov and McGregor’s camps.

Jason Kindschy - February 17, 2019

With the highly anticipated return of former heavyweight kingpin Cain Velasquez just hours away, the question remains if we will see the dominant display of cardio and technique that Cain is known for against a very dangerous opponent in Francis Ngannou. Following a hiatus from combat sports for over two years, one individual who has no doubt that Velasquez will make a big statement tonight on ESPN is his longtime friend and coach, Javier Mendez. On the most recent episode of BJPENN.COM Radio, Mendez discussed his star pupil, the long journey back to action, and the continued evolution of Cain as a martial artist.

Jason Kindschy - February 17, 2019

Founder and head coach of the famed American Kickboxing Academy, mentor and close friend of Cain Velasquez, Javier Mendez returns to the show to preview the highly anticipated return of his star pupil. We’ll get Javi’s thoughts on the matchup against Francis Ngannou and the challenges he poses for Cain, how Mendez sees the fight playing out, and what the future has in store for the former champion Velasquez. Mendez believes Cain will become the heavyweight king yet again, and is confident about his chances in a potential matchup with Jon Jones. We’ll also get Javi’s thoughts on the immediate future for Daniel Cormier, and what the ideal scenario is for DC to wrap up a historic career in style. Mendez also gives us his thoughts on Khabib’s refusal to compete before November, best-case-scenario matchups for Nurmagomedov, and a whole lot more.

Cole Shelton - January 22, 2019

Daniel Cormier had originally planned to retire by his 40th birthday. Well, things may have changed. “DC’s” birthday falls on March 20, and the only pay-per-view between now and then is UFC 235 – as UFC 234 is already finalized – which already has two title fights. Now, the question remains on whether or not Cormier will retire before then or stick around longer.

Tom Taylor - January 17, 2019

The next fight of UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov remains a mystery. In the opinion of Nurmagomedov’s head coach Javier Mendez, however, the best option available is a rematch with Conor McGregor, who Nurmagomedov defeated at UFC 229 on October 6. “I look at this as more of a prizefight than I do sport,” Javier Mendez told Off The Brawl,outlining his pick for the next fight of Khabib Nurmagomedov. “I want the biggest prizefight and the biggest prizefight hands down is, there’s no comparison, it’s Conor. Obviously, I want a rematch, because that’s what it is, the biggest prizefight, right? Because of what happened the last time there’s more interest on the second one, there’s a rematch to be had. For me, I would rather have that.”

Cole Shelton - January 13, 2019

When MMA fans think of the top gyms in the sport, some of the first to come to mind are JacksonWink, American Top Team, and of course, American Kickboxing Academy (AKA). There is no question that AKA is one of the top gyms in the sport, with the likes of Daniel Cormier, Cain Velasquez, and Khabib Nurmagomedov all training under its roof.

Cole Shelton - January 11, 2019

Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is back. Velasquez is set to return to the Octagon on Feb. 17 against Francis Ngannou. The former champ was last seen at UFC 200 where he defeated Travis Browne by TKO in the first round. Despite this lengthy absence, he is once again on the hunt for the heavyweight belt.

Tom Taylor - December 26, 2018

Javier Mendez, who serves as the head coach at American Kickboxing Academy in Fresno, California, has had a huge year. He shepherded Khabib Nurmagomedov to a lightweight title win and a successful title defense against Conor McGregor. He helped Daniel Cormier become one of just two fighters in UFC history to wear UFC belts in two weight classes concurrently. He guided dozens of other fighters to victories on the sport’s biggest stages. In the opinion of the UFC lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov, these accomplishments should earn Javier Mendez Coach of the Year honors for the year 2018.

Drake Riggs - November 2, 2018

“There’s contract negotiations going on that I’m not privileged to know. But I do know that other organizations are interested in buying Cain [Velasquez’s] contract. It’s for sale, I do know that because I was told that from somebody that’s in the know. That they were offered money to buy Cain’s contract but what’s going on, I don’t know.

Tom Taylor - October 2, 2018

This Saturday’s UFC 229 title fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor is all anybody can talk about these days. This massive lightweight title fight between undefeated reigning champion and history-making former champion is dominating the headlines and airwaves, and is likely to continue doing so until well after the fight itself has drawn to a close. Eventually, of course, the Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor buzz will quiet. The loser of the fight will return to the drawing board, tail tucked between their legs, while the winner will march proudly toward their next massive challenge.

Tom Taylor - October 2, 2018

This Saturday night, in the main event of UFC 229, undefeated UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov will attempt to defend his title opposite former UFC lightweight and featherweight champ Conor McGregor. While Khabib Nurmagomedov has faced some strong opposition in the past, such as Rafael dos Anjos, Michael Johnson, and Edson Barboza, Conor McGregor is easily the most dangerous opponent he’s faced over the course of his 26-fight career. The Russian’s head coach, Javier Mendez, is well aware of this fact.

Tom Taylor - September 28, 2018

On October 6, in the main event of UFC 229, UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov will attempt to defend his title against former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion Conor McGregor. Given that Conor McGregor is one of the most feared strikers in UFC history, many fans and pundits feel Khabib Nurmagomedov would be wise to use his world-class wrestling early on. Nurmagomedov’s head coach Javier Mendez shares this opinion — although he’s not confident Nurmagomedov will do so. The Russian champion, after all, often deviates from the intended game plan in his fights. And while this can occasionally be frustrating for Mendez, he maintains that it’s okay so long as Nurmagomedov keeps winning.

Tom Taylor - September 27, 2018

The UFC 229 press conference, which featured UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and his upcoming opponent Conor McGregor, produced all of the trash talk and saber-rattling we anticipated. Most of that trash talk, of course, came from McGregor, who is as known for his gift of gab as he is for his fistic proficiency. While Conor McGregor is infamous for his trash talk, many fans feel he crossed some lines at this UFC 229 press conference, as he targeted Nurmagomedov’s entourage, his family, and even his religion.

Jason Kindschy - September 26, 2018

BJPENN.COM Radio is back, Penn Nation!

Tom Taylor - September 6, 2018

In December of 2015, in the co-main event of UFC 194, Luke Rockhold stepped into the cage with Chris Weidman in hopes of capturing the UFC middleweight title. On that night, Rockhold succeeded on his mission, defeating Weidman by fourth round TKO. On November 3 of this year, on the main card of UFC 230 in New York City, Luke Rockhold and Chris Weidman will fight again. This time around, there will be no title on the line, but the winner will be within sprinting distance of a middleweight title shot.

Tom Taylor - September 3, 2018

As the home of current and former champions like Daniel Cormier, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Cain Velasquez and Luke Rockhold, American Kickboxing Academy is one of the very best MMA gyms in the world. It might even be the best in the world outright. If there has ever been a reason to knock the gym, however, it’s that, for a time, their fighters just couldn’t seem to stay healthy. On multiple occasions in the past, AKA’s top stars have been forced out of massive fights with injuries — oftentimes at the very last minute. This trend, unsurprisingly, did not go over well with fight fans, who understandably wanted to see AKA’s top dogs in action.

Tom Taylor - September 3, 2018

For many years, Luke Rockhold was one of the most visible and successful fighters training out of American Kickboxing Academy, and a crucial training partner to both Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez. Over the last year or so, however, Rockhold has done much of his training elsewhere. The former middleweight champion even did some training at Combat Club in Florida at a time when Volkan Oezdemir was using the gym to prepare for a fight with Cormier. All the same, you will not be hearing of any drama between Luke Rockhold and American Kickboxing Academy.