It’s hardly a huge surprise.
Conor McGregor will fight Chad Mendes for an interim title at UFC 189 after featherweight champion Jose Aldo officially pulled out of the event last night.
Aldo suffered a rib injury in training last week and although his chances of taking on McGregor did not look good as a result, there had been encouraging signs that the Brazilian would be fit to face McGregor at the MGM Grand on July 11.
Last night, however, Aldo officially withdrew from the event, meaning that McGregor will take on Mendes, who has been on standby since news of Aldo’s rib injury broke last week.
McGregor, as you might expect, was typically forthright when discussing Aldo’s withdrawal alongside UFC President Dana White on ESPN’s SportsCenter last night, saying of Aldo that “if a man is scared for his life, we cannot force him to step inside and face me”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQSfXhIgbko
Following Aldo’s withdrawal, it’s not quite going to be the event we were all expecting but McGregor v Mendes will still be one hell of a fight.
Besides, Conor seems pretty sure he’s going to get the better of Aldo some day.
They can run. But they can't hide.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 1, 2015
