Chad Mendes | Source: MMAWeekly.com
Undefeated featherweight prospect and Urijah Faber protege Chad “Money” Mendes recently spoke with Tapology’s Steven Kelliher about his beginnings in the sport and how he plans to reach the top of the division in the future.
Currently resting on an even 8-0 mark since turning professional in 2008, California’s Chad Mendes is one of the fastest rising young prospects in the soon-to-be UFC featherweight division. Although he came into the sport under high expectations as a friend and training partner of former WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber, Mendes always knew he was capable of competing at the highest level of the sport.
“I have eight fights under my belt and the last three fights have come pretty quick, so my career as a fighter is going as planned so far,” Mendes said. “I’ve picked up the Jiu-Jitsu the fastest, but I’ve been working on my stand-up a lot. I’m about where I expected to be at this point in my career, but I’m nowhere near where I will be in the future.”
Mendes is now a permanent fixture at Faber’s Team Alpha Male gym, an essential component to a team that includes Joseph Benavidez and other top WEC stars. For Mendes, however, his relationship with the team–and it’s captain, Faber–was no coincidence.
“I’ve known Urijah since my Junior year in high school, we worked wrestling camps during the summers while I was in college and I rolled with him a few times, fell in love with it, and let him know that was something I’d be interested in doing after college,” Mendes said. “The day after graduation I actually packed all of my stuff, moved here, and he actually let me stay at his house until I got my feet under me. All of these guys—Urijah and Joseph Benavidez—are like brothers and the training atmosphere is amazing.”
Although he was a standout collegiate wrestler, Mendes entered MMA after college with little experience in submission grappling or in striking. Under Faber’s tuteledge, however, he quickly found himself elevated to contender’s status in the featherweight division of the WEC. In fact, the young fighter could be a pair of wins away from a title shot of his own.
Mendes strikes out at Anthony Morrison at WEC 48 | Source: MMAWeekly.com
Asked about Faber’s influence on his own fighting style, Mendes admitted that the similarities were undeniable and completely intentional, but that he was well on the way to discovering his own personal style.
“Watching Urijah fight on TV when I was still in college and seeing how he moved and how explosive he was, I would relate myself to that because we have a similar body type,” Mendes said. “Working with him every day and picking his brain on all of the techniques was huge for me.”
On Thursday night, Mendes will take on re-surging veteran and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Javier Vasquez in the co-main event of WEC 52, which is the second to last event the promotion will produce prior to their official merger with the UFC in January of 2011.
“His top game seems to be his most dangerous thing,” Mendes said about his most dangerous opponent to date. “His stand-up is awkward but he’s pretty effective with it. I’d like to keep it standing and I think the WEC would like to see that as well because it’s usually more exciting.”
Finally, Mendes gave his thoughts on his future in the featherweight division, and also revealed how he would tackle the challenge of dethroning current Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo, a man who has yet to see defeat in eight contests in the promotion.
“The guy is just super athletic,” Mendes said about Aldo. “He’s got a great body style for the sport; he’s long and lanky but he’s got a big frame for the weight class. You can’t stand in front of him because he’s going to pick you apart, but I don’t think anybody’s really tried to wrestle with him yet. I would just try to get him down, ground and pound him and wear him out.”
A fight between the two may be over a year off, but if Mendes continues to win, and if Aldo extends his reign into the UFC, Faber may have to move over as Mendes emerges as the flag-bearer for Team Alpha Male.
