00:02All right, gentlemen, we've been over the rules, protect yourself at all times.
00:06Follow my instructions.
00:08Cuts, gloves if you wish, come on ready to fight.
00:12How good is this?
00:16McGregor!
00:19Mendez!
00:21Interim featherweight belt is the prize for the winner.
00:27McGregor just can't stop talking to him.
00:29Here we go!
00:31Spinning back kick immediately.
00:39Chad's got his back, and Conor gets back up.
00:42Tagged him.
00:45Chad looking to utilize his wrestling role.
00:51Connects with it.
00:52He tagged him with two big punches there, Mike.
00:54Good combination by Chad Mendez.
01:03McGregor snuck an elbow in there, Joe.
01:12Another right hand over the top by Mendez.
01:14And spinning back kick is nice.
01:17Caught him with that one.
01:19Yeah, Conor is timing that very well.
01:22Oh, they're smiling and taunting each other.
01:26Oh, he hurt him hard.
01:27He hurt him hard there.
01:29That was a good shot by Conor.
01:31Chad, that's on ducked under.
01:33Chad can't stand right in front of him like that when he lands that left hand.
01:37Conor has some serious one-punch power with that.
01:40And Conor's cutting off the octagon here early.
01:43Good combination.
01:44The spin again.
01:45Again, hard shot.
01:48Slipped and ripped by Mendez.
01:53He's got him trapped, Joe.
01:55Well, he might have gotten stunned.
01:57He might have gotten stunned by either those punches or the kicks or the kick to the body.
02:01But Chad is standing right in front of him, which is very uncharacteristic and not shooting.
02:07Could be just trying to recover.
02:09There's a kick.
02:11There's a good one, too, by Chad.
02:13Amazing atmosphere.
02:16The adrenaline pumping from both of these guys.
02:20Chad's breathing heavy.
02:22Yes, he is.
02:22And it could be because of those kicks to the body, Mike.
02:25Conor came right out with one.
02:27And he's connected on the last two or three.
02:32He's got Chad retired.
02:37There you go.
02:38Connected that time.
02:40He put the left on his chin and followed with the right.
02:43Looking for the takedown.
02:44There's a big power shot.
02:46Got it!
02:46He gets him down.
02:47Nicely done.
02:49But in full guard.
02:51Chad Mendez, the most takedowns in UFC and WEC featherweight history with his first of the night.
02:58He turned the corner on that one nicely.
03:00But he's in Conor's full guard.
03:04There's a good shot by Chad.
03:06Chad.
03:08Beautiful shot by Chad.
03:10Connected.
03:11The right and the left.
03:14Now money's on the board.
03:19Beautiful right hand.
03:21Tell you what, Conor McGregor can take a punch.
03:22He sure can.
03:23He also holds his hands really low.
03:26And again, the counter.
03:29Blood by the right eye of Conor McGregor.
03:33Good front kick to the body by Conor.
03:37Conor's use of the kicks is keeping him at length, allowing him to land shots.
03:41Another hard shot to the body.
03:44Chad's hurt.
03:44Chad's body's hurt.
03:46It was the kick that started it off.
03:48Yep.
03:49He's trying to recover here.
03:51But Conor can hit him.
03:53He's got a longer reach, and he can hit him in a place where Chad can't hit him back.
03:59Especially with those kicks.
04:00Eight-inch reach advantage.
04:05Chad just took a big, deep breath.
04:24And this is what everyone who is a hardcore fan wanted to see.
04:34Can someone take Conor down, and when they do, what can they do to him?
04:39It's the one thing that he hadn't faced inside the octagon is a talented wrestler.
04:44Both men 17-2 in their professional careers.
04:50Chad Mendes still trapped in the half guard.
04:54Officially now, Joe, three takedowns for Mendes.
04:58One to finish.
05:05Chad Mendes looking for a guillotine here.
05:10Looking to trap the neck.
05:13Joe, this is by the way.
05:15Watch your fingers.
05:18Herb Dean talking about the fingers of Chad Mendes.
05:21Watch him.
05:25Final seconds of round one.
05:27Do not stick.
05:30Oh!
05:31Oh!
05:32Oh!
05:38Going Mendes with a finger.
05:41McGregor says, let's keep it going.
05:46Round two!
05:50I like the respect there.
05:51Beginning of the round, and Graydon with a quick touch.
05:54Mendes returned.
05:56The spin.
05:57Chad can't stand in front of him, and that's a problem he's having.
06:01And Conor's doing a wonderful job of keeping him on the outside and attacking his body.
06:07A lot of kicks to the body from Conor.
06:09Here goes again.
06:10Good spot.
06:11Good shot.
06:12Looking for the guillotine.
06:13Doesn't get it.
06:17Chad's got to move away from those body kicks.
06:20Very important.
06:22Very nice straight left.
06:25Just missed it.
06:27Conor with some beautiful boxing here.
06:30Total strikes.
06:34McGregor.
06:35Again.
06:36Huge takedown.
06:37Fourth takedown for Mendes.
06:44Joe, that's why you and I talked earlier about styles make match-ups.
06:51And the big question, which was, what happens when he faces a wrestler?
06:55Yes.
06:55And this is what we're seeing.
06:57Chad Mendes is on top.
06:58Landed another good elbow to the spot where he cut.
07:03And it was a big elbow that caused that first cut.
07:07Slashing elbow by Mendes.
07:15Top position again.
07:18Third try for UFC.
07:20Strong elbow.
07:21Strong.
07:22For Chad Mendes.
07:23He's a strong elbow.
07:24Watch the back of the air.
07:28He might have gotten notice that he was in the main event late, but Chad Mendes is always in great
07:33shape.
07:50Another nasty elbow by Mendes.
07:57Trying to disrupt the breathing of Conor McGregor.
08:13It takes a long time to get conditioned to go five rounds.
08:17And even if Mendes is in really good shape, which he is, the question remains, was he in good enough
08:24shape
08:24to fight like this for 25 minutes?
08:28These are hard elbows.
08:29Got to watch out.
08:30Mendes is saying they were illegal.
08:33Hope Dean's saying fight.
08:35Mendes was saying those were illegal elbows.
08:38Hope Dean disagreed.
08:41Hope did tell him to be careful, Joe.
08:47Two minutes left in round two.
08:54Another hard elbow by Mendes.
08:55He's slashing with those elbows.
08:59Oh!
08:59Big shot there.
09:02Working in the closed guard of McGregor.
09:05McGregor's talking to him.
09:06While he's landing punches, McGregor continues to talk to him.
09:09Body head.
09:10Head.
09:11Again.
09:12Once, once.
09:13And then, we go.
09:15Conor looking at Herb Dean, but Chad Mendes is keeping plenty busy to keep the fight right here.
09:21He's fighting.
09:22He's fighting.
09:23And again.
09:23He's fighting.
09:24These are nasty elbows.
09:28He's saying he's fighting.
09:29I think Conor was asking Herb Dean, why aren't they standing it up?
09:32Exactly.
09:32Which is kind of crazy when you consider the amount of damage that Chad Mendes is doing with elbows like
09:37that.
09:44Hand over the mouth.
09:46Guard closed by McGregor.
09:48And Chad has made no attempt in this round, at least, to pass this guard.
09:52He's happy to stay in the guard and smash him with elbows.
09:55And that's exactly what he's doing, Joe.
09:58He's doing a lot of damage here.
09:59He stepped over, looking for the neck, looking for the neck.
10:03Chad is excellent at this.
10:04This is his technique.
10:06Oh, get him.
10:07Can he get it?
10:08He lost it.
10:08He lost it in the backup.
10:13Uppercut.
10:14McGregor.
10:15Chad can't stand in front of him like this.
10:18Mendes fires back.
10:19Looks for another takedown.
10:22Not this time.
10:23Conor stuffed it with 20 seconds to go.
10:29Big, deep breath by Chad Mendes.
10:32Listen to this place.
10:33Oh, big shots by McGregor.
10:35Look at the clock closely.
10:3710 seconds.
10:38Oh, he's hit.
10:39Could he finish up here?
10:42That's it.
10:42And it's all over.
10:44Conor McGregor is a UFC intra-featherweight champion.
10:50Wow.
10:51Wow.
10:54Wow.
10:57Wow.
11:00Unbelievable.
11:04He did it.
11:17Can you even imagine what a Conor McGregor-José Aldo title fight?
11:33Can you even imagine what a Conor McGregor-José Aldo title fight?
11:35We're in a fight.
11:48Mendez...
11:48tried to lock it in.
11:50Couldn't.
11:51Chad had a very good round on top.
11:54But with seconds ticking away,
11:56Conor McGregor went to work.
11:59And he finished the fight.
12:03And he is the interim Featherweight Champion.
12:08The face
12:09of the nation
12:11who says he is not
12:13to take part.
12:15He came
12:16to take part.
12:30The Notorious
12:32Conor McGregor.
12:40Ladies and gentlemen,
12:42Referee Herb Dean
12:42has called a stop
12:43in this contest.
12:44At 4 minutes,
12:4557 seconds
12:46is round number 2.
12:48Declaring the winner
12:49by TKO.
12:51And now,
12:53the new
12:54Interim UFC
12:56Featherweight Champion
12:58of the world
13:00The Notorious
13:02Conor McGregor.
