Chad Mendes reminisces on fight with Conor McGregor

Thursday was the four-year anniversary of UFC 189, which was topped by a blockbuster interim featherweight title fight between Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes.

McGregor had originally been expected to battle undisputed champion Jose Aldo on the card, but was matched up with Mendes on 10 days’ notice when Aldo sustained an injury in training.

Mendes started this fight strong, taking McGregor down and bloodying him with ground and pound on the canvas. As the bout wore on, however, the rising Irish star turned the tide, pelting his foe’s body and head, and ultimately earning the stoppage in the waning moments of the second round.

Speaking on their respective social media channels, both Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes reflected on this fight, which stands out to this day as one of the biggest in UFC history.

McGregor kept things pretty brief, while Mendes took a lengthier walk down memory lane, reminding that this fight marked the first time in UFC history that fighters walked out to live music, and assuring it’s one he’ll never forget.

https://twitter.com/TheNotoriousMMA/status/1149491418496323584

“4 years ago wow.” – Conor McGregor on Twitter. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzzAp-rlTQ6/

“So crazy to think it’s been 4 years today since I shared the octagon with @thenotoriousmma . What a crazy experience. Conor and Aldo were scheduled to fight, but due to a rib injury Aldo was forced out of the fight. I got the call from Dana on 10 days notice and went straight from fishing mode into training mode. It was the first time the UFC had live performers for our walk out songs. Sinead O’Connor sent Mcgregor out and my boy @aaronlewismusic sent me out with ‘country boy’. Not sure where the last 4 years went but that’s definitely a fight I’ll never forget!” – Chad Mendes on Instagram.

Mendes, coincidentally, officially retirement from MMA this week. From this fight with McGregor to the many impressive wins on his record, he’s got plenty to look back proudly on.

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 7/12/2019.