RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - JANUARY 14: Jose Aldo (L) celebrates after defeating Chad Mendes in a featherweight bout during UFC 142 at HSBC Arena on January 14, 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Jose Aldo defeats Chad Mendes by Knockout. The stoppage came at 4:59 in the first round.
Chad Mendes opened up the first round with leg kicks. Jose Aldo responded with his own that landed much heavier. Chad Mendes failed on his first takedown attempt. Huge leg kick landed for Aldo. Chad Mendes came forward with a combination but missed on every strike attempt. Aldo landed a huge uppercut just before Chad Mendes attempted a deep single leg takedown. Mendes committed to a takedown attempt from outside but came up empty as Aldo stepped away. Chad Mendes landed his best leg kick of the fight with a minute left. Jose Aldo attempted a flying knee and Chad got the fight to the ground momentarily. He took Aldo's back and when he attempted a throw Aldo grabbed the fence. Aldo knocks out Chad Mendes with a knee and strikes with seconds remaining in the round.
After the knockout Aldo ran out of the cage and dove right into the crowd to celebrate with his countrymen. He almost caused a riot getting carried back to the cage on someone's shoulders. It is his most dominant win as a UFC fighter and he's still the UFC featherweight champion.
0 recs | 101 comments
Holy crap
What a KO!
RiZE - January 14, 2012
If he doesn’t grab the fence then I don’t think that unfolds the same
Afrotikiman - January 14, 2012 via mobile
If Fedor didnt grab the ropes
Lindland woulda won. LOL
get out of here with that shit
Ricardo Arguello - January 15, 2012
I agree he doesn’t get the knockout right then and there but mendes had back control and still had a very hard time to take him down. Aldo wins this fight regardless
JG87 - January 15, 2012
Agreed
Afrotikiman - January 15, 2012 via mobile
Exactly. Complete bullshit. He grabbed the fence so hard i thought he would throw his shoulder out when mendes tried to pull him away.If he didnt things are entirely different.
traydawg - January 15, 2012 via Android app
If he didn't he knocks Mendes out in the second instead
Not to condone rule-breaking, but Mendes had nothing.
VenusBlue - January 15, 2012
Agreed
Afrotikiman - January 15, 2012 via mobile
He got thrown to the wolves to please the rio crowd, we all knew what was going to happen.
mikeI981j - January 15, 2012
He got thrown to the wolf and he wasn't good enough.
No conspiracy needed.
VenusBlue - January 15, 2012
Not everything is a conspiracy, he was put up against the champ way too soon and it was for the enjoyment of the rio crowd. On paper 11-0 looks pretty damn good, a deeper look shows a who’s who of nobodys and decisions to complete that 11-0, now 11-1 record.
mikeI981j - January 15, 2012
Oh sorry, I misunderstood you.
I actually agree, he wasn’t ready for Aldo, but featherweight is a thin division and Aldo is a very dominant champion. Based on what Aldo did to Urijah Faber this really wasn’t a surprising outcome. Mendes was in a similar situation to someone like Demian Maia when he got his title shot, except that Aldo doesn’t clown around.
VenusBlue - January 15, 2012
I’ll admit, given aldo’s last couple performances I was expecting mendes to last more than a round lol. But its the same thing on the england cards, they put england natives against people that are ranked underdogs on all the betting lines. You can’t blame the ufc its just good business to give the hometown crowd a good time.
mikeI981j - January 15, 2012
Ha
Would’ve still lost.
RiZE - January 15, 2012
Agreed
Afrotikiman - January 15, 2012 via mobile
him and barboza should both get it
NEW-HAMPSHIRE - January 14, 2012
Jose Aldo
With no regard for human life!
ZapRowsdower - January 14, 2012 via mobile
Momma, there goes that man
TheFilt - January 15, 2012
Hand down, man down
HaterSlayer - January 15, 2012
I really think both of those should make their way to MMA.
TheFilt - January 15, 2012
No, I'll speak on behalf of Jackson here.
I wouldn’t want Rogan or Goldie ruining these beauties.
Marquis Brown - January 15, 2012
True
I don’t know how many times I’ve seen a dude drop his hands and get KO’d.
That line always comes to mind.
TheFilt - January 15, 2012
That was awesome.
KatGirl - January 14, 2012
no surprises here…aldo is monster and i didn’t think for one second that mendes had a chance
phantom5691 - January 14, 2012
I think we can safely say
Aldo is NOT the next GSP
WARistotle - January 14, 2012
ha
nywins42 - January 15, 2012
I came here to say this. well played
Bobillarious - January 15, 2012 via Android app
eat it Coffeen
alxn - January 15, 2012
I said in that article that I am a fan and I hope I am wrong. I was wrong, and I am happy to be wrong. Well done Aldo.
Fraser Coffeen - January 15, 2012
I’m happy you were wrong too ;]
alxn - January 15, 2012
Jose Aldo is soo Boring he is the next gsp
Go fuck your mutha cock suckas
RECE ROCK - January 15, 2012 via mobile
GSP HAS BEEN EXPOSED!!!
boscomma - January 15, 2012
A good night for gifs
DirtyML - January 15, 2012
Sucks for Barboza, hope gets his credit.
jason18 - January 15, 2012
I hated that fence grab
It happens way to often. Sweet KO, but still taints the win for me.
We All Hate Caleb - January 15, 2012
It doesn't tain anything for me
Mendes got the same take down and Aldo popped up almost instantly.
HaterSlayer - January 15, 2012
Featherweight division is pretty weak though… It’s not like the light heavys or lightweight. Aldo will run shit 4 awhile cuz of this.
The Don Mega - January 15, 2012 via mobile
Aldo will run shit for a while because he’s awesome, not because his opponents aren’t.
Simen - January 15, 2012
Featherweight divison is weak; period. Aldos greatness wud be mor legit if he wAs running thru top rated fightrs.
The Don Mega - January 15, 2012 via mobile
I read an interview he said he would eventually go for lightweight
tanakz - January 15, 2012
Apparently the featherweight division is weak semicolon. After that semicolon should be something about top-ranked guys in his weight division and Kenny “I fought at everything below light heavyweight” Florian.
Simen - January 15, 2012
Dude, how many lightweights were beating florian? Manny is a monster and mike brown had legit power, faber is the man, hominic is dangerous. Aldo is fighting legit guys, to try to take anything away from them is crazy.
JaeeJaee - January 15, 2012 via mobile
People still think this foolishness?
I would have thought Jose dominating Kenny Florian in their fight(remember all the LWs were gonna go down and beat all the FWs because they sucked?) would have ended this misconception. FW isn’t a weak weightclass.
HaterSlayer - January 15, 2012
Too bad for Aldo that Edson Barboza did his thing tonight
Earl Montclair - January 15, 2012
I'm sure that shiny belt and the adulation of thousands will console him.
VenusBlue - January 15, 2012
most certainly it will
Earl Montclair - January 15, 2012
GSP IS EXPOSED
TitanFan2K - January 15, 2012
Never noticed it till this fight but Chad Mendes looks like Frankie Edgar and Sean Sherk had a baby
savik - January 15, 2012
That wud be a badass fightr tho… Edgars strikn and sherks wrestlin wud be a great combo!
The Don Mega - January 15, 2012 via mobile
Because sherk has better credentials or wrestling than Edgar????
In a fight or on the match, whether it’s grappling or wrestling, Edgar thrashes
Sherk.
JaeeJaee - January 15, 2012 via mobile
Exactly
TheFilt - January 15, 2012
he looks like Urijah
sans the asshole on his chin
Ricardo Arguello - January 15, 2012
Tito Ortiz lost points for a far less egregious cage grab.
pdl - January 15, 2012
yeah that was heinous
Mendes had him totally horizontal
Earl Montclair - January 15, 2012
Happy as hell for aldo.
Yea the fence grab did suck but mendes attempted the same takedown 15 seconds later and aldo defended it perfectly. And his jumping into the crowd was a perfect way to end the night
StevenQ91 - January 15, 2012 via mobile
That doesn't change the fact that aldo was literally horizontal he would have been on the ground off that one.
We All Hate Caleb - January 15, 2012
I think part of what made Yamasaki kind of gunshy to take points was Joe Rogan's dumbass calling him on an earlier mistake
Same thing happened with Yves when he stopped a fight too early and the rest of the card(and a couple cards later) people were half dead before he’d stop the fight.
HaterSlayer - January 15, 2012
That was by far the best UFC victory of all time...
This is one PPV I can say I’m glad I paid for to watch on the big screen…
LeDuc - January 15, 2012
Holy hyperbole, Batman!
pdl - January 15, 2012
Ha!
LeDuc - January 15, 2012
that celebration kicked ass.
UncleMax - January 15, 2012
Once Edgar beats Ben Henderson, I want Aldo vs Edgar at 150 pounds.
MicahtheCynic - January 15, 2012
FRASER COFEEN: WHO'S BORING NOW?
nomomrnicekyle - January 15, 2012
Georges St. Pierre?
Fraser Coffeen - January 15, 2012
Exactly.
nomomrnicekyle - January 15, 2012
Georges St. Pierre?Tyron WoodleyMicahtheCynic - January 15, 2012
this
GSP is just exposed, not boring
Ricardo Arguello - January 15, 2012
I am such an idiot
I thought this would be a bad card. I am very happy to be wrong.
Now, Korean Zombie vs Jose Aldo! Yeah!
Lauren J Darkbloom - January 15, 2012
I think that is the right move. Do it Joe Silva!
Fraser Coffeen - January 15, 2012
Easy fight for Aldo
Ricardo Arguello - January 15, 2012
Aldo's fence grab was ridiculous and should've resulted in a point deduction.
But it was quite clear that Mendes had nothing for him on the feet and nothing for him with the takedowns.
So I’m kinda glad it unfolded as it did.
I guess Aldo can handle wrestlers at 145.
SSreporters - January 15, 2012
This should have been obvious when he handled all the wrestlers at 145.
TheFilt - January 15, 2012
This is all I have wanted for years now.
The first time I saw Chad Mendez lay on top of someone in the WEC I told my girlfriend that all I wanted was to see this guy win just so he could face Jose Aldo and eat a knee. I jumped out of my seat tonight. Yes I am a huge Aldo fan but still, this is how you stop the lay n’ prayers…
Hart Thorson - January 15, 2012
Maybe the NFL thriller affected my brain
But this PPV wasn’t nearly as “awesome” as people made it out to be. It was a very fun and good event but not a lot of “standout” matches. Etim/Barboza was fun and then we had a squash match, a DQ, a tainted MW fight because Rumble can’t make 185, and then the violence of Aldo/Mendes.
Good show, but not some card of the year kind of thing.
I’m ready to put Aldo into top 5 p4p. At least tie him with Cruz in that regard.
SSreporters - January 15, 2012
except cruz can't finish a fight to save his life
Scurnt - January 15, 2012
I agree with this
It was a fun night of fights, but there wasn’t a great fight of the bunch. All of the fights were either very one sided or not really that eventful.
HaterSlayer - January 15, 2012
not that eventful? i'm glad i'm not smoking the same jaded pipe some of you are
UncleMax - January 15, 2012
Seriously. if you want to complain about one sided fights, how about a one sided football game that youre calling a "thriller’? gtfo with that.
nomomrnicekyle - January 15, 2012
He might have meant the 49ers and Saints game
Art_Wanderlei - January 15, 2012
yes
SSreporters - January 15, 2012
Agreed. I've been watching since '93 and this was one of the most entertaining cards I've seen yet.
MrCBTman - January 15, 2012
Yeah, I really enjoyed that
Granted there were no FOTN candidates but there was so much crazy shit happening it was fantastic entertainment.
VenusBlue - January 15, 2012
Er, FOTY candidates....
Derp
VenusBlue - January 15, 2012
That is crazy
He’s looked far more dominant than Cruz ever has.
People are forgetting the close decisions and complete lack of damage.
TheFilt - January 15, 2012
Not to mention that Cruz has been hit cleanly many times and been wobbled a few times
Urijah landed hard punches to the face of Cruz – strikes he was nowhere near landing on Aldo.
Pyrgz Krum - January 15, 2012
Curious how a Brazil card would do without having a brazillian in every fight, i mean main even obviously but i wonder if they’d care.
Scurnt - January 15, 2012
We will never know
Art_Wanderlei - January 15, 2012
It was a good card to start off the new year
Yeah the Maseenzio/Paul Harris fight was a little one sided but the rest on paper at least were competitive. :0)
Who wasn’t excited for Barboza/Etim though? C’mon.
Hart Thorson - January 15, 2012
Enjoy.
Marquis Brown - January 15, 2012
I love the look on security's faces when he just runs by them.
Jonathan. - January 15, 2012
that k.o. was sweet and aldo running into the crowd was beautiful. i’m glad he got out of there in one piece
phantom5691 - January 15, 2012
Aldo was never in any danger.
Security really should have backed off of him there. In no way was anybody in that crowd going to hurt him.
Marquis Brown - January 15, 2012
Who in the hell would try and hurt that man anyway?
You’d have to be insane!
VenusBlue - January 15, 2012
He could use another scar, anyway
Jonathan. - January 15, 2012
the danger in a situation like that is not that someone would try to intentionally hurt him, its in the chances of someone getting hurt accidentally by a huge, excited and worked up crowd.
phantom5691 - January 15, 2012
chad "I took a money shot" mendes
And team alpha fail got nothing for Aldo. Womp womp womp.
TheDreadedMarco - January 15, 2012 via mobile
Team Napoleon Complex FTL.
MicahtheCynic - January 15, 2012
Alpha Male vs. Aldo: 0 – 2 (Aldo vs. Faber, Aldo vs. Mendes)
Alpha Male vs. Cruz: 1 – 3 (Faber vs. Cruz 1 – Cruz vs. Benavidez 1 & 2, Cruz vs. Faber 2)
They seem to do great everywhere but championship fights. Team Cursed Contenders!
Pyrgz Krum - January 15, 2012
Faber is 1-1 with Cruz
Ricardo Arguello - January 15, 2012
Yes?
Pyrgz Krum - January 15, 2012
but benavidez is 0-2
Clifford J - January 15, 2012
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