Mendes vs. McGregor Results: Immediate Post-Fight Comments and Top Highlights

Conor McGregor claimed the interim UFC featherweight championship on Saturday at UFC 189 with a TKO triumph over Chad Mendes in the co-main event at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Just seconds before the second round would have been over, McGregor escaped a guillotine choke attempt from Mendes, gathered to his feet and sent his foe to the canvas. The fight was called after McGregor's magnificent flurry.

Bleacher Report UK had the snapshot and a fitting quote from McGregor just before the Irishman delivered the decisive blow:

Even though McGregor was gashed badly on the right side of his face and took a good beating overall, he had enough in the tank to smash Mendes in the face with a lethal right jab and left hook combination. The action stopped when McGregor kept pummeling Mendes with his right fist on the ground.

Todd Martin of the Los Angeles Times felt the circumstances surrounding Mendes' participation played a role in how the bout played out:

McGregor called out his originally slated opponent Jose Aldo, who pulled out of the fight with a rib injury, per MMAFighting.com's Ariel Helwani:

MMAFighting.com recorded another notable post-fight comment from McGregor, who said, "I knew I was going to prove to people I’m a true fighter. It doesn't matter who it is."

Taking into consideration the strong effort he put forth in the first round, Mendes may have been able to claim the title if he had a bit more notice and time to prepare. Jumping into a sudden championship showdown had to be a bit of a pressure cooker and somewhat surreal.

But afterward, Mendes seemed most grateful for the opportunity and had kind words for his victorious adversary:

UFC President Dana White yanked the featherweight title away from Aldo, so it will be fascinating to see how the matchup between McGregor and Aldo plays out. It seems McGregor has the moxie and skills to be a legitimate star with a 6-0 UFC record and five knockouts. His eagerness to take on Aldo is a testament to those aforementioned qualities.

The way McGregor handled Mendes ought to give The Notorious confidence moving forward in the buildup toward a presumptive clash with Aldo, who has to have first dibs to reclaim what was once his championship.

Mendes still has a chance to take positives from this outcome despite the loss. His wrestling was extremely effective on McGregor, and the respect he'll gain from his peers for taking on such a daunting task as a UFC 189 headliner should cater to great opportunities down the road.

Whether Mendes gets another title shot remains to be seen. It could come as soon as McGregor and Aldo battle it out for the featherweight belt. On the other hand, Mendes did fall to McGregor and was defeated by Aldo in a unanimous decision at UFC 179 this last October.