Rogan: Mendes could easily be as big a star as McGregor
Joe Rogan: “Chad Mendes easily could be as big a star as Conor McGregor. He wouldn’t talk like Conor McGregor did, but neither did Georges St-Pierre.”
UFC featherweight Conor McGregor is favored to beat Chad Mendes at UFC 189 on Saturday. There are predictions that if McGregor wins he will be the next Muhammad Ali in combat sports, but if Mendes wins he will be the 2nd best guy in the UFC featherweight division.
UFC commentator Joe Rogan doesn’t agree with any of that.
“I think Chad Mendes should be the favorite,” said Rogan as transcribed by David St. Martin for MMAFighting.com. “Chad Mendes knocked Ricardo Lamas, dead. Dead. With one punch. He smashes dudes. He goes after guys. He’s a destroyer.”
“Mendes easily could be as big a star as Conor McGregor. He wouldn’t talk like Conor McGregor did, but neither did Georges St-Pierre. Georges St-Pierre was the biggest pay-per-view star of all time. Because he was a gentleman. Georges St-Pierre got a million pay-per-view buys.”
“The last fight was razor close. There’s an argument that could be made that if they fought in America he would have won that decision. There’s also an argument to be made that if Jose Aldo didn’t land that late punch after the first round that knocked Mendes down and had him very hurt, it could have been a very different fight.
“Let me tell you something, if he goes out and starches Conor, he’s a giant.”
Chad Mendes fights Conor McGregor for the UFC interim featherweight cahmpionship on Saturday, July 11 in the main event at UFC 189 in Las Vegas, Nevada.