Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes 2: A Full Head-to-Toe Breakdown

UFC 179 plays host to the rematch between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes.

Aldo won the first encounter by TKO and then ran out of the cage to celebrate with the feverish Brazilian crowd. It was one of the best sights in MMA. Pure joy.

Mendes has won five straight fights, four by knockout, to earn another shot at Aldo's championship belt.

The Brazilian champion is one of the pound-for-pound best in the world. He is the last remaining non-American champion in the organization. He will enter in front of a friendly crowd with a lot of weight on his shoulders.

UFC 179's main event is a true No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup, a rarity in sports these days. The UFC brings you the rematch the featherweight division has been waiting for.

Let's break down the featherweight tilt from head to toe.

Striking

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When they met for the first time, Aldo had a significant edge on the feet. Mendes was still very basic with his hands.

Two years later, Mendes has closed the gap.

Aldo will still possess the edge against Mendes. He is more versatile with his strikes and comes from a variety of angles. Mendes' work with Duane Ludwig paid off in a big way. Mendes surged with a run of knockout wins over quality competition.

Mendes' improvement may pay off, but don't expect him to suddenly compete with Aldo toe-to-toe.

Edge: Aldo

Grappling

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Mendes nearly took Aldo down in their first fight, but Aldo grabbed the fence to save himself. No point was taken.

Aldo has a career 91 percent takedown defense, according to FightMetric. He has exceptional balance but has gotten away with grabbing the fence. Mendes can put Aldo down, and his newly improved striking can help him achieve this goal.

Even if Mendes can take Aldo down, it will be difficult to keep him there.

In the grappling battle, Mendes holds the edge over Aldo, but it may not matter much if he cannot keep him on the canvas.

Edge: Mendes

Submissions

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Neither fighter ends their bouts via submissions often.

Mendes' wrestling ability will more than likely put him in better position to finish via a submission. He has excellent top control and is also good at defending submission attempts.

The champion was long heralded as a submission specialist, but he relied on his phenomenal striking en route the title. He still has the skills to get it done on the ground, but he finds it much more efficient to beat on his opposition.

Aldo is the more accomplished jiu-jitsu practitioner between the two fighters, and Mendes will be more likely to have better positioning given their styles.

Do not expect a submission to occur, but Aldo has the edge.

Edge: Aldo

X-Factors

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Aldo's X-Factor: Weight Cut and Cardio

Nova Uniao is a camp notorious for not cutting weight effectively, and Aldo has been a part of that mess. He has suffered from kidney stones, a sign of poor technique when cutting weight. That can do a lot of damage to one's body.

Aldo's energy has also faded in fights, which is likely a result of the poor cuts.

That can play a big role Saturday against Mendes. The American keeps a high pace. It will force Aldo to be active the entire fight. Keep an eye on Aldo at Friday's weigh-in.

Mendes' X-Factor: Striking to Takedown Transitions 

Mendes' striking improvement will only make him a better MMA wrestler. If he can threaten on the feet, he can more easily transition to a takedown.

The key is just that—be threatening. If Aldo doesn't fear Mendes' striking capabilities, then he will be quicker to react to any level changes.

We have seen what quick transitions from striking to wrestling can do. Rashad Evans and Demetrious Johnson are two of the best at demonstrating this. Mendes has always had a quick shot in the cage, but becoming a competent striker has only made his wrestling more dangerous.

Prediction

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This will be a much different fight than their first encounter.

Mendes is much improved, and it is likely the referee will pay more attention to Aldo grabbing the fence, especially given how that altered the first fight.

With that said, it is still not a good matchup for the challenger.

Aldo has fantastic takedown defense and is a better striker. He can stop Mendes from being effective on the feet and make him desperate at getting the takedown. And he can easily stop a telegraphed shot. Eventually, he will catch Mendes.

It will take more work on the champion's part, but he gets another TKO win over Mendes.

Prediction: Aldo defeats Mendes by TKO in the third round