Chad Mendes

Chad Mendes
Born Chad Edward Mendes
May 1, 1985
Hanford, California, United States
Other names Money
Nationality American
Height 5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
Weight 145 lb (66 kg; 10 st 5 lb)
Division Featherweight
Reach 66.0 in (168 cm)[1]
Style Wrestling
Fighting out of Sacramento, California
Team Team Alpha Male[2]
Wrestling NCAA Division I Wrestling[3]
Years active 2008–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total 19
Wins 17
By knockout 7
By submission 2
By decision 8
Losses 2
By knockout 1
By decision 1
University California Polytechnic State University
Notable school(s) Hanford High School
Website Official UFC Profile
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
last updated on: February 16, 2011

Chad Edward Mendes (born May 1, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist who competes as a featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of January 17, 2014, he is #1 in official UFC featherweight rankings [4] and ranked the #2 featherweight in the world by Sherdog.[5]

Wrestling career

High school

Wrestling for Hanford High School, Mendes finished 8th in the state of California as a sophomore at 103 lbs in 2001. He placed 5th as a junior at 112 lbs in 2002 and 3rd as a senior at 119 lbs in 2003. Mendes was also a Cadet All-American.[6]

NCAA

Mendes wrestled for Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, CA. He finished his career with an overall record of 64-14 and twice earned NCAA All-American honors. As a senior, Mendes finished the year with a 30-1 record; he placed 2nd in the 2008 NCAA championships at 141 lb., falling to Ohio State's J Jaggers in the title match.[7] That year, Mendes was Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year.[8] Mendes also received All-American honors in 2006, finishing 6th at 125 lb at the NCAA Championships.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

After the conclusion of his collegiate career, Mendes began to train with the mixed martial arts team Team Alpha Male.[2] He began fighting for the Palace Fighting Championship and went undefeated.

World Extreme Cagefighting

Mendes made his WEC debut against Erik Koch on March 6, 2010 at WEC 47.[9] He won the fight via unanimous decision, despite a cut over his right eye that was examined during the fight to see if he could continue.

Mendes faced Anthony Morrison, replacing an injured Mackens Semerzier,[10] on April 24, 2010 at WEC 48. He won via first round submission.

Mendes faced Cub Swanson on August 18, 2010 at WEC 50.[11] He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Mendes faced Javier Vazquez on November 11, 2010 at WEC 52 and defeated him via unanimous decision.[12] Mendes was able to utilize his improved striking to compliment his superior wrestling to dictate where he wanted to take the action. During the fight, Mendes used an unorthodox move when he front flipped on Vazquez who was on the ground, to land on him.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

On October 28, 2010, World Extreme Cagefighting merged with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As part of the merger, all WEC fighters were transferred to the UFC.[13]

Mendes made his UFC debut against returning veteran and judo black belt Michihiro Omigawa on February 5, 2011 at UFC 126.[14] He won the fight via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Following UFC 129, Dana White mentioned in the post-fight press conference that Mendes may have a shot at the title against UFC featherweight champion José Aldo. Although the two were expected to fight on August 6, 2011 at UFC 133, Aldo would be sidelined until October recovering from various injuries sustained during the Hominick bout.[15][16] Mendes instead faced Rani Yahya at the event.[17] He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Mendes fought UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo at UFC 142, losing at 4:59 of the first round via controversial KO, when Jose Aldo grabbed the fence to stop Mendes from taking him down and in the process delivered a fight-ending knee to the head, giving Mendes his first professional loss.

Mendes next faced Cody McKenzie on July 7, 2012 at UFC 148.[18] He won the fight via first round KO due to a body punch.

Mendes was expected to face Hacran Dias on December 15, 2012 at UFC on FX 6.[19] However just days before the event, Dias pulled out of the bout citing a shoulder injury and was replaced by promotional newcomer Yaotzin Meza.[20] Mendes defeated Meza via KO at 3:38 in the first round.

Mendes was expected to face Manvel Gamburyan on February 23, 2013 at UFC 157.[21] However, Gamburyan pulled out of the bout, citing a thumb injury.[22] Subsequently, Mendes was pulled from the card as a suitable replacement could not be found on short notice.[23]

Mendes was expected to face Clay Guida on April 20, 2013 at UFC on Fox 7.[24] However it was revealed on March 15 that Guida had pulled out of the bout citing an injury[25] and was replaced by Darren Elkins.[26] Mendes won the fight by TKO at 1:08 in the first round.

A rescheduled bout with Guida took place on August 31, 2013 at UFC 164.[27] After a close first and second round, Mendes finished Guida via TKO by punches in the third round and became the first man to ever finish Guida by strikes. The win also earned Mendes his first Knockout of the Night bonus award.[28]

Mendes faced Nik Lentz on December 14, 2013 at UFC on Fox 9.[29] He won the fight via unanimous decision.

A rematch with José Aldo was expected to take place on August 2, 2014 as the event headliner at UFC 176 for the UFC Featherweight Championship.[30] However in early July, Aldo pulled out of the bout with an injury.[31] The rematch with Aldo was subsequently rescheduled and took place on October 25, 2014 at UFC 179.[32] He become the first man to knock down Aldo by dropping him with a left hand, in the first round, Mendes & Aldo both rocked each other with clean punches, Mendes would go on to lose the fight via a very close unanimous decision.[33] Despite the loss on the scorecards, Mendes was awarded his first Fight of the Night bonus award for the bout.

Mendes faced Ricardo Lamas on April 4, 2015 in the main event at UFC Fight Night 63.[34] Mendes won the fight via TKO in the first round.[35] The win also earned Mendes his first Performance of the Night bonus award.[36]

Personal life

Mendes is of Portuguese, Italian, Puerto Rican, Irish, and Native American descent.[37]

Battery charges

Mendes was charged with battery for alleged involvement in a bar fight on July 29, 2012 in his hometown of Hanford, California. Kings County Sheriff's deputies say Mendes punched a man in the face at a local bar which then ensued into a brawl. As Hanford police were called in to break it up, Mendes allegedly began yelling at the officers. Law enforcement say he was showing signs of intoxication and asked him to leave the premises. Instead, he turned and walked back into the bar and allegedly punched another patron. The Kings County District Attorney’s Office announced on August 25, 2012 that it would seek a battery charge against Mendes, which carries with it a possible $2,000 fine and up to six months in county jail.[38] The charges were later dropped after Mendes pleaded no contest to a count of public disturbance and paid a fine.[39]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Collegiate wrestling

Mixed martial arts record

Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 17–2 Ricardo Lamas TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Mendes vs. Lamas April 4, 2015 1 2:45 Fairfax, Virginia, United States Performance of the Night.
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 16–2 José Aldo Decision (unanimous) UFC 179 October 25, 2014 5 5:00 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil For the UFC Featherweight Championship. Fight of the Night. Fight of the Year (2014).
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 16–1 Nik Lentz Decision (unanimous) UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Benavidez 2 December 14, 2013 3 5:00 Sacramento, California, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 15–1 Clay Guida TKO (punches) UFC 164 August 31, 2013 3 0:30 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States Knockout of the Night.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 14–1 Darren Elkins TKO (punches) UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Melendez April 20, 2013 1 1:08 San Jose, California, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 13–1 Yaotzin Meza KO (punches) UFC on FX: Sotiropoulos vs. Pearson December 15, 2012 1 1:55 Gold Coast, Australia
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 12–1 Cody McKenzie TKO (body punch) UFC 148 July 7, 2012 1 0:31 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 11–1 José Aldo KO (knee) UFC 142 January 14, 2012 1 4:59 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil For the UFC Featherweight Championship.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 11–0 Rani Yahya Decision (unanimous) UFC 133 August 6, 2011 3 5:00 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 10–0 Michihiro Omigawa Decision (unanimous) UFC 126 February 5, 2011 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 9–0 Javier Vazquez Decision (unanimous) WEC 52 November 11, 2010 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 8–0 Cub Swanson Decision (unanimous) WEC 50 August 18, 2010 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 7–0 Anthony Morrison Submission (guillotine choke) WEC 48 April 24, 2010 1 2:13 Sacramento, California, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 6–0 Erik Koch Decision (unanimous) WEC 47 March 6, 2010 3 5:00 Columbus, Ohio, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 5–0 Mike Joy Decision (unanimous) Tachi Palace Fights 1 October 8, 2009 3 5:00 Lemoore, California, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 4–0 Steven Siler KO (punches) Tachi Palace Fights - Best of Both Worlds July 16, 2009 1 0:44 Lemoore, California, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 3–0 Art Arciniega Decision (unanimous) PFC - Best of Both Worlds 2 April 23, 2009 3 3:00 Lemoore, California, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 2–0 Leland Gridley TKO (punches) PFC - Best of Both Worlds 1 February 6, 2009 2 1:58 Lemoore, California, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 1–0 Giovanni Encarnacion Submission (rear-naked choke) PFC 10 August 26, 2008 1 2:06 Lemoore, California, United States

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Fight Card - UFC 179 Aldo vs. Mendes 2". UFC.com. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Sherdog Prospect Watch: Chad Mendes". Sherdog.
  3. ↑ "Chad Mendes - Official UFC Fighter Profile". UFC.com. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Fighter Rankings - UFC ®". ufc.ca.
  5. ↑ "Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings". sherdog.com. January 5, 2014.
  6. ↑ http://www.wrestlingusa.com/02%20wusa%20web%20root/highschoolbest/hsbesttournamentsnotice.html
  7. ↑ http://gopoly.com/index.php?p=sports&tab=news&id=29931&article_id=46731
  8. ↑ http://gopoly.com/index.php?p=sports&tab=news&id=29931&article_id=47571
  9. ↑ "CHAD MENDES VS. ERIK KOCH ON FOR WEC COLUMBUS". MMAWeekly.com. 2010-01-26.
  10. ↑ "Chad Mendes replaces Mackens Semerzier, faces Anthony Morrison at WEC 48". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2010-04-08.
  11. ↑ "Chad Mendes vs Cub Swanson AT WEC 50 in August". MMAWeekly.com. 2010-06-22.
  12. ↑ "WEC 52 additions include Mendes-Vazquez". MMAjunkie.com. 2010-09-20.
  13. ↑ "UFC and WEC set to merge in 2011; events to air on Versus and Spike TV". mmajunkie.com. October 28, 2010.
  14. ↑ "Chad Mendes vs. Michihiro Omigawa Official for UFC 126". bloodyelbow.com. December 21, 2010.
  15. ↑ "Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis Headlines UFC 133; Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes Likely Delayed". MMAWeekly.com. May 17, 2011.
  16. ↑ "Jose Aldo Out of UFC 133 Featherweight Title Defense Against Chad Mendes". MMAmania.com. May 24, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Chad Mendes meets Rani Yahya at UFC 133 in Philadelphia". mmajunkie.com. May 24, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Featherweights Chad Mendes vs. Cody McKenzie added to UFC 148". mmajunkie.com. May 18, 2012.
  19. ↑ "Hacran Dias vs. Chad Mendes set for UFC on FX 6". mmajunkie.com. October 1, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Yaotzin Meza replaces Hacran Dias, meets Chad Mendes at Friday's UFC on FX 6". MMAjunkie.com. December 10, 2012. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  21. ↑ "Chad Mendes vs. Manny Gamburyan added to February's UFC 157 event". cagereligion.com. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
  22. ↑ Pishna, Ken (2013-02-08). "Manny Gamburyan Forced Out of UFC 157; Chad Mendes Awaits New Opponent". mmaweekly.com. Retrieved 2013-02-08.
  23. ↑ Staff (2013-02-08). "With no opponent, Chad Mendes off next week's UFC 157 card". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2013-02-08.
  24. ↑ Dann Stupp (February 12, 2013). "Chad Mendes meets Clay Guida at UFC on FOX 7". mmajunkie.com.
  25. ↑ Greg Savage (2013-03-15). "Clay Guida Injured, Out of Chad Mendes Fight at UFC on Fox 7". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2013-03-15.
  26. ↑ Matt Erickson (March 19, 2013). "Darren Elkins steps in for Clay Guida, meets Chad Mendes at UFC on FOX 7". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
  27. ↑ Mookie Alexander (2013-05-22). "Chad Mendes vs. Clay Guida targeted for UFC 164". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  28. ↑ Staff (2013-09-01). "UFC 164 bonuses: Pettis, Mendes, Lim, Krauss win $50,000". MMAjunkie.com. Retrieved 2013-09-01.
  29. ↑ Ariel Helwani (2013-09-17). "Chad Mendes vs. Nik Lentz booked for UFC on FOX 9". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2013-09-17.
  30. ↑ Mookie Alexander (2014-05-04). "Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes 2 headlines UFC 176 in Los Angeles". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
  31. ↑ Staff (2014-07-02). "Jose Aldo out of UFC 176 main event vs. Chad Mendes with injury". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2014-07-02.
  32. ↑ Brett Okamoto (2014-07-27). "Aldo-Mendes rematch set for Rio". espn.go.com. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  33. ↑ Los Angeles Times (25 October 2014). "UFC 179: Jose Aldo beats Chad Mendes to retain featherweight title". latimes.com.
  34. ↑ Damon Martin (2015-01-18). "Chad Mendes vs. Ricardo Lamas headlines UFC Fight Night in Virginia". foxsports.com.com. Retrieved 2015-01-18.
  35. ↑ Elias Cepeda (2015-04-04). "Chad Mendes stuns, stops Ricardo Lamas in first round". foxsports.com. Retrieved 2015-04-04.
  36. ↑ Staff (2015-04-04). "UFC Fight Night 63 bonuses: Four get $50,000 for 'Performance of the Night' efforts". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-04-04.
  37. ↑ "Twitter". twitter.com.
  38. ↑ Joe Johnson. "Chad Mendes now facing criminal charge". Hanford Sentinel.
  39. ↑ "Battery charges against Chad Mendes dropped as D.A. accepts no contest plea to public disturbance". MMAFighting.com. October 22, 2012. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  40. ↑ "Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes produced 2014's Fight of the Year". ESPN.com.
  41. ↑ Tim Burke. "Bloody Elbow 2014 Year-End Awards - Results". Bloody Elbow.
  42. ↑ "MMAjunkie’s ‘Fight of the Year’ for 2014 – a rematch tops our list - MMAjunkie". MMAjunkie.
  43. ↑ "MMAjunkie’s ‘Fight of the Month’ for October 2014 (as if you didn’t know) - MMAjunkie". MMAjunkie.
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 "Chad Mendes wrestling". UFC.com. March 6, 2013. Retrieved March 6, 2013.

External links