Jose Aldo thinks Chad Mendes is a marginal challenge, one that he has beaten before and can easily beat again.
In an interview with Combate.com, the UFC’s featherweight champion said that the challenge has the ‘same game’ that he had when the pair met back in 2012 at UFC 142. In that first meeting, Aldo kept the fight standing and knocked Mendes out with a devastasting knee in the first round. The champion expects the same result when they fight again at UFC 179.
“I see no difference in his game. He’s still the same person with the same game. He’s maybe more confident but there is nothing that I can see to tell: ‘Oh, the guy has a better striking now.’ No. He has never had a bout with a good striker and fought three rounds against him. In the cage we’ll see who evolved more.”
Aldo also said that he wasn’t interested in doing another stunt to promote the fight (like he did when he shoved Mendes earlier this year).
“No, we’re not at that level. We’ve already sold what we could. But maybe not because of the PPV. Hold on! We have to heat things up but I don’t know if there will be something more. We’re professional athletes, we know what we have to do. After the fight, everything will be normal again.”
