McGregor Meets Mendes for Interim Featherweight Title at UFC 189

By: Don Best Staff | Sunday, July 5, 2015
UFC

The fourth annual UFC International Fight Week is currently underway in Las Vegas, with UFC 189 serving as the main event on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and featuring a pair of title bouts. In fact, Saturday's event is one of three UFC cards taking place within a five-day period that will surely include more than a few entertaining fights for die-hard MMA fans and bettors alike.

Click here for latest UFC 189 odds.

Unfortunately, the heavily-hyped matchup between featherweight champion Jose Aldo and third-ranked contender Conor McGregor (17-2) will not happen because the former suffered a rib injury, leaving the latter to take on second-ranked contender Chad Mendes (17-2) for the interim title instead. McGregor has received a lot of early support against Mendes, opening as a slight -120 favorite (bet $120 to win $100) at the Westgate SuperBook before jumping to -160 on Sunday night with his fellow Irishmen likely starting to arrive in Vegas and investing heavily on his chances to become the new featherweight champ.

Mendes is certainly no slouch though as a live +140 underdog (bet $100 to win $140) since he has twice as much experience in the UFC (10 bouts to McGregor's five), and the only two losses of his career both came against Aldo. The most recent fight versus Aldo took place at UFC 179 last Oct. 25 and resulted in a tough five-round unanimous decision loss. It ended up winning Fight of the Year honors for 2014.

The other title fight on the UFC 189 card is a rematch between welterweight champ Robbie Lawler (25-10, 1 No-Contest) and second-ranked contender Rory MacDonald (18-2) in the co-main event. MacDonald is a -170 favorite at the SuperBook despite being the challenger as he has been billed the heir apparent ever since fellow Canadian and former 170-pound champ Georges St-Pierre stepped away from the Octagon in 2013. St-Pierre's last bout was a split-decision victory over Johny Hendricks, who then beat Lawler for the vacant championship belt via UD before losing the rematch by SD at UFC 181.

Lawler (+150) had upset MacDonald in the first meeting at UFC 167 two years ago via SD to originally earn the title shot against Hendricks. The 33-year-old veteran is 6-1 during his second stint in the UFC - with the lone loss coming to Hendricks - and he will give up one inch in height and two inches in reach to the rangy MacDonald, who is eight years younger than him as well.

UFC 189 Picks: Mendes, MacDonald, Jeremy Stephens (+175)

Please note: McGregor has since jumped as high as -250 at the SuperBook on Friday before settling down to -210.
 
 
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