UFC Quick Quote: Chad Mendes isn't ready to fight Jose Aldo

"The way I see it, Chad Mendes is a great athlete, a very mature kid, but honestly I don't believe he's ready to fight Jose Aldo. I think it's too soon, he needed to fight few more times, but well... I'm not the one to decide that, it's just my opinion on the subject. Jose Aldo is a great champion, you can tell he feels comfortable at the cage and it seems he does what he wants to do in there. He's an impressive guy a while now I'll do whatever it is I can do to help him out. It's a pleasure training with a guy that talented. I can only say "thank you, Jose Aldo.""

- Gray Maynard

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At first I was like, wait why is Gray Maynard commenting on an issue not in his division? Then I realized he's training with Jose Aldo haha.

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Posted by Geoffo

At first I was like, wait why is Gray Maynard commenting on an issue not in his division? Then I realized he's training with Jose Aldo haha.

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Great decision on Aldo's part by bringing Maynard in. I think Aldo finishes this one. He's proven to do very well against wrestlers in the past.

Well whats forgotten in all this is Aldo has to cut weight to get to 145 and that makes him a differnet fighter...He can train with Gray all he wants but Gray didnt get small Frankie down who is great and if Kenny can come close well.....

Aldo aint finished nobody as of late and is the next GSP....Mendes can very well grind a decision and with teh cut if he keeps pressure on Aldo we see Aldo have a cardio issue....This fight is a good bet for the money on Mendes...Close the distance takes away striking and wears down opponent and this world class BJJ Aldo camp claims is BS...

$$$$ Money Mendes $$$$ = Next Champ

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Posted by kingsmasher

Well whats forgotten in all this is Aldo has to cut weight to get to 145 and that makes him a differnet fighter...He can train with Gray all he wants but Gray didnt get small Frankie down who is great and if Kenny can come close well.....

Aldo aint finished nobody as of late and is the next GSP....Mendes can very well grind a decision and with teh cut if he keeps pressure on Aldo we see Aldo have a cardio issue....This fight is a good bet for the money on Mendes...Close the distance takes away striking and wears down opponent and this world class BJJ Aldo camp claims is BS...

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Boo this man

If Mendes is not ready now, he will not be ready in a few years. I have watched this sport since it's birth and I have come to the conclusion most fighters do not make significant improvements. Fighters' styles will virtually be similar to what they were when the fighters began their professional careers.

Has GSP gotten better since his fight with Serra and Hughes? I really don't know. I think he is still the same fighter with the same skill set who is only more cautious since his fights with Hughes and Serra - and if that makes him better as a fighter than I guess he has gotten better - but not significantly better.

So to respond to this ridiculous statement made by Maynard, Mendes is very ready for Aldo. Mendes will likely mprove in a few years but I doubt it will be enough to significantly increase his chances.

The reason GSP was able to dominate Hughes and Serra the second time around is because GSP was already a better fighter than Hughes and Serra even when GSP lost to them the first time. I know the previous sentence may make no sense to many of you but it is my believe the better fighters do not always win.

Nobody is ever ready to fight Aldo.

mendes can beat aldo, aldo will get taken down and elbowed. aldo hasnt finished anyone for a while, i see mendes winning by unan decision.

I love this "Aldo hasn't finished anyone lately" talk. It's been TWO fights. TWO. I guess everyone forgot about the Gamburyan KO because it was so effortless. The transition to the UFC, octagon jitters, increased exposure, etc, could very well have played a factor in Aldo's first two UFC fights.

Throw in the fact that Aldo has been dealing with neck/back injuries this year, that may put a damper on someone's performance. I could have sworn I heard that he has the same neck problems as Peyton Manning.

Does "Money" have a shot at winning the belt from Aldo? Sure. However, I certainly don't think Aldo's most recent performances are enough reason to think so. Money will win or lose due to his skills and conditioning, not Jose's.

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Posted by Twenty20Dollars

Nobody is ever ready to fight Aldo.

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This lol he's on a different level than everybody in his division, just like gsp. He'll clean the division out then we should move up to 155 imo

Aldo will destroy mendes. Greatest move aldo and maynard could have ever made training with each other.

People are giving Aldo too much credit...Mark Hominick went 5 rounds and won a RD...Thats not dominant like GSP....HE absolutely hates the weight cut and he didnt do anything against Kenny Florian...TO say hes gonna walk over a great wrestler is ridiculous...It all depends on Mendes...

Can we agree that if Mendes presses Aldo against the fence Aldo cant punch..>So then what does he have? Mendes gas tank is gonna push Aldo....If he doesnt get caught with a punch...

Also Aldo beating Gamburyan? really who is Manny? Too many people have fought Aldos fight...IF Faber and Mike Brown are fighting in front of Aldo then they are dumb...Seriously doubt anyone would fight a fight Aldo wants to...

Aldo wont leg kick Mendes with a fear of being taken down...

3rd Round TKO Mendes..

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Posted by hotrodttt

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Posted by Twenty20Dollars

Nobody is ever ready to fight Aldo.

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This lol he's on a different level than everybody in his division, just like gsp. He'll clean the division out then we should move up to 155 imo

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No way GSP hasnt lost a round IMO and Aldo has lost some against Homincick and Florian...Hardly dominant...

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Posted by kingsmasher

People are giving Aldo too much credit...Mark Hominick went 5 rounds and won a RD...Thats not dominant like GSP....HE absolutely hates the weight cut and he didnt do anything against Kenny Florian...TO say hes gonna walk over a great wrestler is ridiculous...It all depends on Mendes...

Can we agree that if Mendes presses Aldo against the fence Aldo cant punch..>So then what does he have? Mendes gas tank is gonna push Aldo....If he doesnt get caught with a punch...

Also Aldo beating Gamburyan? really who is Manny? Too many people have fought Aldos fight...IF Faber and Mike Brown are fighting in front of Aldo then they are dumb...Seriously doubt anyone would fight a fight Aldo wants to...

Aldo wont leg kick Mendes with a fear of being taken down...

3rd Round TKO Mendes..

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I can see where you are coming from. I think if Mendes had beaten Rani Yahya a little more convincingly, I would give money more of a chance. But that was a very uninspiring performance. If Mendes is as tentative in taking Aldo down as he was Yahya, it will be a short night. I know Yahya has better ground credentials... But still, I think even if Aldo didn't use his leg kicks, he would just out-box Mendes. But Aldo didn't have any problem snapping of those leg kicks against Faber....

I give Mendes a good shot in this match, but I am rolling with Aldo on this one.

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Posted by kingsmasher

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Posted by hotrodttt

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Posted by Twenty20Dollars

Nobody is ever ready to fight Aldo.

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This lol he's on a different level than everybody in his division, just like gsp. He'll clean the division out then we should move up to 155 imo

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No way GSP hasnt lost a round IMO and Aldo has lost some against Homincick and Florian...Hardly dominant...

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True, Aldo is not as dominant as gsp in that matter but he's as dominant for the fact that the guys who face him have to worry about getting brutalized by Aldo, something that the opponents of gsp don't have to worry about as much.

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Posted by KungFuMaster

If Mendes is not ready now, he will not be ready in a few years. I have watched this sport since it's birth and I have come to the conclusion most fighters do not make significant improvements. Fighters' styles will virtually be similar to what they were when the fighters began their professional careers.

Has GSP gotten better since his fight with Serra and Hughes? I really don't know. I think he is still the same fighter with the same skill set who is only more cautious since his fights with Hughes and Serra - and if that makes him better as a fighter than I guess he has gotten better - but not significantly better.

So to respond to this ridiculous statement made by Maynard, Mendes is very ready for Aldo. Mendes will likely mprove in a few years but I doubt it will be enough to significantly increase his chances.

The reason GSP was able to dominate Hughes and Serra the second time around is because GSP was already a better fighter than Hughes and Serra even when GSP lost to them the first time. I know the previous sentence may make no sense to many of you but it is my believe the better fighters do not always win.

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I have to disagree here. GSP has in fact shown a ton of improvement. He was a stand up fighter first and foremost and suddenly he's the best wrestler(for MMA) in the world. That's major improvement. Not just GSP though, I have been watching since the sports birth too, and the majority of the fighters I've seen have improved substantially. You can't tell me Anderson hasn't improved since he signed with the UFC. He was known as a great striker when he was chasing fights in whatever organization he could get them in, but no where near the otherworldly striker he is now. Randy from the time he started util he finished was a MUCH more polished fighter and the list goes on and on. I'm only talking about guys at the top of the heap too, when I watch the young guys that are coming up I can see improvements from one fight to the next and that's extremely impressive, because things like that aren't always palpable. Mendes is 26, only has 11 fights, and only has been fighting a shade over 3 years. I'd say that as good as he is there is still a ton for him to learn and he will continue to improve, especially his striking and jits. I think you got caught in a bad blanket statement there, the old guard by and large didn't evolve a ton, but the majority of fighters I've seen have gotten better with experience. Hell that goes for anyone doing anything.

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Posted by kingsmasher

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Posted by hotrodttt

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Posted by Twenty20Dollars

Nobody is ever ready to fight Aldo.

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This lol he's on a different level than everybody in his division, just like gsp. He'll clean the division out then we should move up to 155 imo

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No way GSP hasnt lost a round IMO and Aldo has lost some against Homincick and Florian...Hardly dominant...

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You know you're wrong when Hotrodttt disagree's with you about a wrestler winning.

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Posted by Pookie

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Posted by kingsmasher

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Posted by hotrodttt

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Posted by Twenty20Dollars

Nobody is ever ready to fight Aldo.

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This lol he's on a different level than everybody in his division, just like gsp. He'll clean the division out then we should move up to 155 imo

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No way GSP hasnt lost a round IMO and Aldo has lost some against Homincick and Florian...Hardly dominant...

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You know you're wrong when Hotrodttt disagree's with you about a wrestler winning.

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I almost never pick against a wrestler

Wrestler is my default pick in UFC matches

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Posted by kingsmasher

People are giving Aldo too much credit...Mark Hominick went 5 rounds and won a RD...Thats not dominant like GSP....HE absolutely hates the weight cut and he didnt do anything against Kenny Florian...TO say hes gonna walk over a great wrestler is ridiculous...It all depends on Mendes...

Can we agree that if Mendes presses Aldo against the fence Aldo cant punch..>So then what does he have? Mendes gas tank is gonna push Aldo....If he doesnt get caught with a punch...

Also Aldo beating Gamburyan? really who is Manny? Too many people have fought Aldos fight...IF Faber and Mike Brown are fighting in front of Aldo then they are dumb...Seriously doubt anyone would fight a fight Aldo wants to...

Aldo wont leg kick Mendes with a fear of being taken down...

3rd Round TKO Mendes..

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What the hell are you even talking about. Your facts are so ridiculous. You thought carwin would smash dos santos and junior gave him the beating of his life. Aldo has dominated the best fighters in featherweight history in long time champ faber, brown, and destroyed tough contenders like manny, cub, homminick.3 were brutal finishes. Homminick is one of the best strikers in the weight class of course it was a war also aldo had a bad weight cut and still won. Florian just kept clinching because it was his only chance as the taller guy, if they banged florian woulda got decked. So of course it was ugly. Aldo is just as fast as mendes if not faster, just as explosive and althetic. Ten times the striker, sick on the ground known to give pure bjj well respected ranked grapplers fits in pure bjj. Only thing he had problems with is being strong in the clinch and wrestling which is what maynard does best. You just dont give frankie edgar no credit. Sherk couldnt get him down. Maynard outwrestled frankie the first time but then frankie developed nasty footwork for nasty takedown defense. Aldo has sick footwork as shown against faber. He can help maynard too. Aldo will be ready for mendes. Once mendes struggles getting him down aldo will be ready for the kill.

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Posted by cowcatcher

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Posted by KungFuMaster

If Mendes is not ready now, he will not be ready in a few years. I have watched this sport since it's birth and I have come to the conclusion most fighters do not make significant improvements. Fighters' styles will virtually be similar to what they were when the fighters began their professional careers.

Has GSP gotten better since his fight with Serra and Hughes? I really don't know. I think he is still the same fighter with the same skill set who is only more cautious since his fights with Hughes and Serra - and if that makes him better as a fighter than I guess he has gotten better - but not significantly better.

So to respond to this ridiculous statement made by Maynard, Mendes is very ready for Aldo. Mendes will likely mprove in a few years but I doubt it will be enough to significantly increase his chances.

The reason GSP was able to dominate Hughes and Serra the second time around is because GSP was already a better fighter than Hughes and Serra even when GSP lost to them the first time. I know the previous sentence may make no sense to many of you but it is my believe the better fighters do not always win.

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I have to disagree here. GSP has in fact shown a ton of improvement. He was a stand up fighter first and foremost and suddenly he's the best wrestler(for MMA) in the world. That's major improvement. Not just GSP though, I have been watching since the sports birth too, and the majority of the fighters I've seen have improved substantially. You can't tell me Anderson hasn't improved since he signed with the UFC. He was known as a great striker when he was chasing fights in whatever organization he could get them in, but no where near the otherworldly striker he is now. Randy from the time he started util he finished was a MUCH more polished fighter and the list goes on and on. I'm only talking about guys at the top of the heap too, when I watch the young guys that are coming up I can see improvements from one fight to the next and that's extremely impressive, because things like that aren't always palpable. Mendes is 26, only has 11 fights, and only has been fighting a shade over 3 years. I'd say that as good as he is there is still a ton for him to learn and he will continue to improve, especially his striking and jits. I think you got caught in a bad blanket statement there, the old guard by and large didn't evolve a ton, but the majority of fighters I've seen have gotten better with experience. Hell that goes for anyone doing anything.

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I am so glad you disagreed with me and put in the effort to respond. I was beginning to feel as though no one wanted to play.

I have read, understood, and respect your opinion regarding the discussion. This is one of those many subjects which have no definitive answer(s).

I did not make a blanket statement. It is my opinion most fighters do not make significant improvements. What we are talking about is not tangible and is very difficult to be measured. You have countered that some fighters have learned new skills and have improved their game significantly. I believe fighting is one of those things like track and field. If you have it in your genes, training will only help you improve.....and if you don't have it in your genes, there is only so much improvement you can make as in the cases of many fighters i.e. Forrest, Bonnar, Fitch, etc. and I can name a whole lot more.

This discussion is based purely on perspective - yours against mine.

So in the spirit of the holidays, you win.......and I win.....and if I was debating with anyone else, I would have never settled for a draw.