Forum Post: !@#$%^&*()Watch UFC RIO: 142 Aldo vs Mendes Full Fight Video

UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes goes down this Saturday from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and will feature a featherweight championship bout between 145lbs. kingpin Jose Aldo and challenger Chad Mendes.

Click or copy the link to watch LIVE http://officialmainevent.blogspot.com/2012/01/watch-ufc-142-aldo-vs-mendes-live.html

Click or copy the link to watch LIVE http://officialmainevent.blogspot.com/2012/01/watch-ufc-142-aldo-vs-mendes-live.html

Supporting the main event is a middleweight tilt between Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson, which will only take place if Johnson weighs in at 205lbs. tomorrow, as he missed weight badly today.

Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes: Jose Aldo will attempt to make the fourth straight defense of his featherweight title this weekend in his own backyard against undefeated Team Alpha Male product Chad Mendes.

Click or copy the link to watch LIVE http://officialmainevent.blogspot.com/2012/01/watch-ufc-142-aldo-vs-mendes-live.html

Click or copy the link to watch LIVE http://officialmainevent.blogspot.com/2012/01/watch-ufc-142-aldo-vs-mendes-live.html

Unbeaten in thirteen straight bouts, the 25-year-old Brazilian has found his way high onto most pound-for-pound rankings as a result of his potent efficiency in the cage. Possessing explosive, technical striking on top of a competent submissions arsenal and stout counter wrestling, Aldo has proven himself to be deficient nowhere, his only weakness perhaps the drastic weight cut he makes that's left him flat at the end of a few title defenses. 20-1 overall, Aldo has established himself as one of the very best fighters in the world and one of the hardest to defeat.

Though defeating Aldo is a tall task, it's one that Mendes took on eagerly, the 26-year-old California native looking to finally prove his rightful status as the best featherweight in the world. Working off of a stout wrestling pedigree, Mendes has continued to grow as an all-around MMA fighter, largely thanks to teammates like Urijah Faber. Mendes has compile an 11-0 record during professional competition, picking up the majority of his victories by decision.

Mark: Jose Aldo has repeatedly proven himself to stand above the rest of the featherweight division. Though his recent title defenses have been less inspiring than many of his early performances, Aldo is a terror who will go into this fight with the added boosts of getting to fight without traveling, as usual, and having an entire country in his corner. Mendes is an incredibly talented fighter, but I don't think he's the one to dethrone Aldo - at least, not yet. Jose Aldo defeats Chad Mendes via third-round KO

Dana: Jose Aldo will have a lot of pressure on himself in this fight, competing in his native country of Brazil. That shouldn't have much of a bad impact on "Scarface," however, as he seems to be turning that corner into an elite MMA fighter. With Chad Mendes, Aldo must avoid takedown after takedown after takedown. If Aldo can stuff a few early takedown attempts, he will likely frustrate Mendes, making this a stand-up fight; which Aldo will win. Jose Aldo defeats Chad Mendes via fourth round submission (rear-naked choke)

Raj: I smell an upset here. While Aldo is nothing short of amazing in the cage, he has not shown the killer instinct since debuting in the UFC that made him such a pleasure to watch in WEC. Mendes' gameplan is obvious, but it's one that will give Aldo trouble. I see Aldo being able to avoid Mendes' takedowns early, only to succumb to them in the later rounds, allowing Mendes to win the fight and the title. Mendes via unanimous decision.

Prediction: Edson Barboza wins by TKO, Round 2.

Middleweight Division (185 lbs.):

Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares (13-3, 6-2 UFC) vs. Mike Massenzio (13-5, 2-3 UFC)

Palhares’ only two losses in the UFC are to Nate Marquardt and Dan Henderson. “Toquinho” is on the verge of becoming a top ten middleweight, having faced elite competition and coming out with a stellar record. The BJJ black belt has vicious leg locks and improving stand up, which he flashed in his fight with Dan Miller as he dazed him badly with a head kick. Massenzio, a decorated wrestler, is somewhat of a journeyman in the UFC, having lost badly to C.B. Dollaway, Brian Stann, and Krzysztof Soszynski. With losses to mid-tier talent, Massenzio does not appear to have the skill to defeat Palhares. Furthermore, Massenzio really only has one dominant skill, which is his wrestling, and that will land him on the ground which is Palhares’ world. “Toquinho,” the physically imposing middleweight, has finished an astounding five fights by heel hook, and fight fans can expect the trend to continue.

Prediction: Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares wins by Submission (heel hook), Round 2. Middleweight Division (185 lbs.):

Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort (20-9, 9-5 UFC) vs. Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (10-3, 7-3 UFC)

Anthony Johnson, who used to cut all the way down to 170 pounds to get his massive body eligible for welterweight, makes the move up to his more natural weight class of middleweight. He gets Vitor Belfort, a legitimate top 10 middleweight and legend of the sport. Belfort, who was knocked out by a highlight reel front-kick from champion Anderson Silva in February, got back on track when he knocked out Yoshihiro Akiyama in August. After the fight against Anthony Johnson, Belfort is set to coach opposite Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva for The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil. In the instant contest, Anthony Johnson, a kickboxer, usually likes to stand and bang with his opponents. Belfort, who possesses some of the quickest and most powerful hands in the business, also loves to box and trade strikes. The X-factor in the fight is Johnson’s wrestling against Belfort’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. If Johnson decides to take this fight to the ground, he has the ability to do so with his wrestling tools. Belfort doesn’t have the takedown defense to stop it. But “Rumble” Johnson also has notoriously weak submission defense, as he was submitted by Josh Koscheck, who is not at all known for his BJJ skills. Will Johnson’s corner allow him to approach the fight with a wrestling-based approach and risk being submitted? Or does Johnson feel as though his superior reach and more diverse striking will earn him the edge on the feet? This fight could go a number of different ways, but the safe play is to bet on Johnson controlling the distance, and scoring the occasional takedown with conservative top control to get the win. Alternatively, with the small gloves and power these two men have in their hands, someone could be getting knocked out.

Prediction: Anthony “Rumble” Johnson wins by unanimous decision.

UFC Featherweight Championship (145 lbs.):

Jose “Scarface” Aldo (20-1, 2-0 UFC) vs. Chad “Money” Mendes (11-0, 2-0 UFC)

On paper, Mendes poses one of the biggest threats to Aldo’s featherweight crown. Aldo has never faced a wrestler with the pedigree of Mendes before. When Aldo faced Urijah Faber, who has very good wrestling skills, he neutralized Faber with blinding speed in his striking and movement. That said, Faber was far too eager to prove he could hold his own on the feet with Aldo. Chad Mendes knows his ticket to success is his wrestling, and he will relentlessly be pushing for the takedown as long as this fight lasts. The undefeated Mendes is a decision victory machine, winning six of his last seven fights by decision.

In a five round title fight, with each round beginning standing up, one has to give a huge edge to Aldo. The thought of Mendes taking three of five rounds from Aldo, or ground and pounding him out for a finish, is difficult to fathom. “Scarface” has some of the sickest and most lethal striking in the game; by far the best in the featherweight division. On top of that, Aldo is a high level Nova Uniao black-belt in BJJ. He rarely shows these skills on the ground because he so often finds dominant success on the feet, but these ground skills may come in handy in the fight against Mendes. Expect Mendes to come out and try to clinch, muscle, and tire Aldo on the cage, as Kenny Florian tried to do. Aldo will come out looking for the finish as he always does, and when Mendes shoots in for the takedown he must be wary of Aldo’s razor sharp flying knees. Look for Aldo to time Mendes by Round 2 and catch him with something nasty, turning his lights out and emphatically solidifying his status as an MMA pound-for-pound great.