UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo won't be able to fight at UFC 133 in Philadelphia. The reasoning is still murky, but his opponent Chad Mendes isn't going to wait around.
The unbeaten featherweight says he wants to fight in early August, so MMAWeekly reports that Mendes is taking a fight against submission specialist Rani Yahya.
SBNation think it's a bad decision for Mendez to risk the Aldo title fight:
Why is Mendes, a hungry young fighter who's been telling anyone who will listen that his belief that he can beat Aldo is at a "10" on a scale of 1-10, so quick to give up on what should be every fighter's dream? In athletics, winning, especially winning championships, is intended to be the primary motivator. Across sports you hear plenty of platitudes about being the best. Mendes has that opportunity - the chance to write his name in the history books. Instead he's willing to fight anyone else rather than wait a month or two for his shot at glory.
The site takes a stab at the reason Mendes is fighting:
It's a baffling decision - until you look a little closer, delve into the weeds a little. The culprit? The UFC's notoriously stingy fighter pay. [...] It's unconscionable to pay a title contender like Mendes $19,000 to fight. Not only does it necessitate tough decisions like this, it also creates an unbalanced playing field. With that kind of money backing him, Mendes can barely afford a world class training camp and can forget about maintaining a reasonable standard of living. Chad Mendes, the top contender to the featherweight crown, is giving up on a chance to win the championship of the world - likely because of money issues.
Or he could be fighting to stay active and has no fear of Yahya. What do you think? Why isn't Mendes waiting for Aldo?
Part of the issue, could be the confusion on Aldo's injury. He's reportedly struggling with neck issues, but recently tweeted that he's fine.
"Let me be clear I'm not hurt again, I'm not hurt. I picked up a suspension (from) the Canadian commission and therefore should only return to training (after) 30 days this month. So once again, I'm not injured."
Mendes, a former college wrestler, has only 11 professional fights under his belt. The 26-year-old could certainly use the experience, but a loss could prove incredibly costly especially with the growing depth in the 145-pound decision.
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