Chad Mendes vs Conor McGregor — Fight recap

Conor McGregor defeated Chad Mendes via TKO in the second round at 4:57, claiming the interim featherweight title in a striking showcase at UFC 189. Despite Mendes' wrestling dominance—landing 4 of 7 takedown attempts and controlling 5:19 of cage time—McGregor's striking volume overwhelmed the interim champ.

McGregor landed 46 significant strikes at 50% accuracy while absorbing 31 of Mendes' 48 significant strikes (64%), including one knockdown that failed to derail his offensive output. The finishing blow came via head strikes, where McGregor connected on 31 of 62 attempts compared to Mendes' 28 of 45, demonstrating superior accuracy in the pocket despite lower overall efficiency.

McGregor's victory over short-notice replacement Mendes cemented his claim as the division's future, though the interim title nature left questions about his path to undisputed gold against Jose Aldo.