Mendes: Risks cost me the fight
Chad Mendes spoke at the post-fight press conference about the fight from his side and how the risks to finish ultimately cost him the fight.
Chad Mendes was in a back and forth fight at UFC 189, and several times was able to take Conor McGregor down and land some solid ground and pound, but it was a submission attempt near the end of the second that allowed McGregor to stand up and land the fight finishing strikes.
Mendes spoke at the post-fight press conference about the fight from his side and how the risks to finish ultimately cost him the fight:
“I felt like I was doing great the first two rounds,” Mendes said at the post-fight press conference. “Especially that second one, I was controlling the fight the whole time. But I took a risk. I went for the submission. I probably should have just stayed there and kept throwing the elbows, but I’m trying to finish the fight. That’s the risk you take and that’s the fight game.”
McGregor finished Mendes via second-round TKO to win the UFC interim featherweight title Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mendes controlled McGregor on the ground and landed blows for a good portion of both the first and second rounds. Mendes clearly won the first and was en route to winning the second, too, when he decided to try for a mounted guillotine. McGregor scrambled to his feet and landed repeated left hands to Mendes’ skull, which ended up finishing the fight.
“I felt like I had complete control on top,” Mendes said. “I felt like it wasn’t a whole lot he could do when I was on top of him. I made the mistake of trying to go for the submission. I could have stayed there, I probably should have and just finished the round out like that. It was just a mistake I made and that’s just how it goes.”
