UFC 179: Aldo vs. Mendes 2 Fight Card, TV Info, Predictions and More
The first time Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes met, the former landed a knee that sent the latter into la la land. What happened next created one of the most iconic scenes in the UFC's history. Aldo spilled out into the crowd at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The shot of a victorious Aldo among a sea of adoring Brazilian fans is unforgettable.
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On Saturday, the two men will have their long-awaited rematch. The arena has changed, but the bout will still be in Rio de Janeiro, where Aldo is so beloved. Can Mendes overcome the huge home-field advantage and one of the sport's best fighters?
We can't wait to find out.
The co-feature will see another Brazilian favorite, Glover Teixeira, battle fellow light heavyweight contender Phil "Mr. Wonderful" Davis. Both men are coming off losses in their last bout. Teixeira was beaten silly by Jon "Bones" Jones, and Davis was pounded by Anthony "Rumble" Johnson at UFC 172 in April.
The winner will be able to thrust himself back in line for a title shot in the near future.
Here's a look at the viewing information, complete card and predictions for the event from the Maracanazinho Gymnasium. Just below the table is a closer look at the two featured fights.
| Fight Pass Prelims | UFC Fight Pass | 7 p.m. ET |
| Fabricio Camoes vs. Tony Martin | Lightweight | Martin by submission |
| Gilbert Burns vs. Christos Giagos | Lightweight | Burns by submission |
| Fox Sports 1 Prelims | Fox Sports 1 | 8 p.m. ET |
| Felipe Arantes vs. Andre Fili | Featherweight | Fili by TKO |
| Scott Jorgensen vs. Wilson Reis | Flyweight | Jorgensen by decision |
| Yan Cabral vs. Naoyuki Kotani | Lightweight | Cabral by submission |
| William Macario vs. Neil Magny | Welterweight | Magny by decision |
| Main Card | PPV | 10 p.m. ET |
| Diego Ferreira vs. Beneil Dariush | Lightweight | Dariush by TKO |
| Darren Elkins vs. Lucas Martins | Featherweight | Martins by KO |
| Fabio Maldonado vs. Hans Stringer | Light Heavyweight | Stringer by TKO |
| Glover Teixeira vs. Phil Davis | Light Heavyweight | Teixeira by decision |
| (c) Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes | Featherweight | Aldo by decision |
Teixeira Will Punish Davis
Mr. Wonderful has an excellent base skill as a wrestler, but he has never developed much beyond his grappling prowess. Because of this, he's in deep water any time he can't take a fight to the ground. Per Fight Metric, Davis lands only 35 percent of his strikes.
Moreover, despite his muscular build, he doesn't have consistent KO ability. That's evidenced by the fact that just two of his wins have come in that fashion. The power may be there, but the technique and commitment to delivering hard shots is absent from Davis' game.
Teixeira wins this fight simply because he's the more complete fighter. He lands 42 percent of his strikes, and he defends 75 percent of the takedowns attempted against him, per Fight Metric. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt will thwart Davis' attempts to take him down. Teixeira will pick him apart with hard punches en route to a decision win.
Aldo Will Win Tougher Rematch
Another spectacular KO win could happen for Aldo, but don't bet on it. Mendes has likely been replaying the first fight over and over in his head for two years.
He'll be cautiously aggressive against the champion—especially early in the fight.
Speed and sophisticated striking are Aldo's best weapons, but he's also an underrated grappler. He prefers to stand and fight, as does Mendes. Because both fighters are dynamic, explosive and seek to fight the same style, their fights will always be entertaining.
In this one, Mendes will have his moments in top control on Aldo. He's built to pursue success in ground-and-pound. Mendes will look to wear the champion down, as it is believed Aldo is perhaps vulnerable late in fights.
It's a good strategy, but Aldo has excellent escapability and he's crafty. Ricardo Lamas had similar ideas and wasn't able to solve Aldo. The champion will do the better striking work and earn a close unanimous decision to retain the title.
"Conor McGregor on the #UFC "I would maul Mendes, and Aldo The division seems to be full of rookies and has-beens" pic.twitter.com/dsE1zptfnM
— UFC Insiders (@UFCInsiders) September 30, 2014"
Bring on Conor McGregor.
Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.
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