Every once in a while you see an MMA fight that really highlights of brutal nature of mixed martial arts. This fight between Aldo and Mendes had a devastating finish.
Jose Aldo stopped Chad Mendes with one devastating knee to the head with a second left in the first round Saturday night, defending his featherweight title in his homeland at UFC 142.
Aldo (21-1) spun and knocked the previously unbeaten Mendes senseless on his back with a perfectly timed right knee that caught Mendes (11-1) flush in the face.
Aldo then landed two punches to Mendes’ defenseless head before referee Mario Yamasaki stopped the bout before the bell.
Aldo then bolted from the octagon and sprinted into the HSBC Arena crowd, which raised him on its shoulders to cap the UFC’s second event in Brazil in six months after a 13-year absence.
Wow. A knee to the head. That’s just crazy!
This is one reason this sport has become so popular and has surpassed boxing. There are so many different strategies and styles. In the end though, one powerful shot can change everything.
The UFC is on a roll, and this is becoming very popular with all sorts of fans. UFC betting is getting more and more attention as well. More and more people are also having house parties to watch these fights. It may not rival the Super Bowl but it’s starting to rival other more traditional sports.
The rankings schedule has made it way back to featherweight.
Not too much has changed in the division since I last came out with my 145-pound top 10, but we did have some debuts and a mild upset or too.
Here is a look at my latest top 10 for the featherweight division.
1. Jose Aldo (19-1) – Aldo is the champion and awaits his next opponent. It looks to be Kenny Florian, but a date and location have yet to be set. Aldo showed some signs of vulnerability against Mark Hominick, but still dominated a great deal of their 25-minute fight. Florian will need to be on top of his game to take Aldo’s title.
2. Chad Mendes (10-0) – The wrestling master has been labeled the No. 1 contender for Aldo, but he opted not to wait for the champion to heal up with some injuries and will now take on Rani Yahya at UFC 133, with his title shot on the line. Mendes likely has the grappling edge in this one, but will have to avoid the slick submissions of Yahya.
3. Kenny Florian (14-5) – Florian won his featherweight debut over Diego Nunes and now appears to be in line for a title shot. Florian didn’t look his best, but the first fight at a lower weight class is always the toughest. Florian will have a strong game plan to fight Aldo, the question will be if he can execute it?
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