Chad Mendes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chad Mendes |
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Chad Mendes in 2011
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| Born | Chad Eduardo Mendes May 1, 1985 Hanford, California, U.S. |
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| Nickname(s) | Money | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 145 lb (66 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Division | Featherweight | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reach | 66 in (168 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Style | Wrestling | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fighting out of | Sacramento, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | Team Alpha Male | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wrestling | NCAA Division I Wrestling | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years active | 2005–2008 (Collegiate wrestling) 2008–2018 (MMA) 2022–present (bare-knuckle boxing) |
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| Mixed martial arts record | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 23 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| By knockout | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| By submission | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| By decision | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Losses | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| By knockout | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| By decision | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | California Polytechnic State University | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable school(s) | Hanford High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Chad Eduardo Mendes (born May 1, 1985) is an American athlete. He is known for his careers in bare-knuckle boxing, mixed martial arts (MMA), and college wrestling. Mendes was a top fighter in the featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He even challenged for the UFC championship three times. During his college years, he was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American and a Pac-10 Conference champion in wrestling.
Contents
Wrestling Career Highlights
Chad Mendes wrestled for Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California. He had a great college wrestling record of 64 wins and 14 losses. He was named an NCAA All-American twice. This means he was one of the best college wrestlers in the country.
College Achievements
As a sophomore, Mendes competed at 125 pounds. Later, as a senior, he wrestled at 141 pounds. In his senior year, he had an impressive record of 30 wins and only 1 loss. He finished second in the 2008 NCAA championships. That same year, he was named the Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year.
Mixed Martial Arts Journey
After finishing his college wrestling career, Chad Mendes started training in mixed martial arts. He joined Team Alpha Male, a well-known fighting team. He began his professional fighting career in the Palace Fighting Championship, where he won all his early fights.
Fighting in WEC
Mendes made his debut in WEC on March 6, 2010. He won his first WEC fight by a unanimous decision. He continued his winning streak in WEC. He defeated Anthony Morrison by submission and Cub Swanson by unanimous decision. In his last WEC fight, he beat Javier Vazquez. Mendes showed off his improved striking skills and strong wrestling in these fights.
Joining the UFC
In October 2010, the WEC organization joined with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). This meant all WEC fighters, including Chad Mendes, moved to the UFC. Mendes had his first UFC fight on February 5, 2011, at UFC 126. He won this fight by unanimous decision.
Mendes continued to win, beating Rani Yahya at UFC 133. His impressive wins led him to a title shot. He faced the UFC Featherweight Champion, José Aldo, on January 14, 2012, at UFC 142. This was a tough fight, and Mendes lost by knockout in the first round. It was his first professional loss.
Comeback and Key Fights
After his first loss, Mendes bounced back with several wins. He defeated Cody McKenzie and Yaotzin Meza by knockout. He also won against Darren Elkins and Clay Guida by TKO. His win against Clay Guida earned him a "Knockout of the Night" bonus. He then defeated Nik Lentz by unanimous decision.
Mendes had a highly anticipated rematch with José Aldo on October 25, 2014, at UFC 179. This was for the UFC Featherweight Championship. It was a very exciting fight, with both fighters landing big punches. Mendes even knocked Aldo down, which was a first. Although Mendes lost the fight by decision, it was awarded "Fight of the Night" and later "Fight of the Year" by many sports outlets.
He continued to fight top contenders. On April 4, 2015, he defeated Ricardo Lamas by TKO in the first round, earning a "Performance of the Night" bonus. Later that year, he stepped in on short notice to fight Conor McGregor for an interim championship at UFC 189. Mendes lost this fight in the second round. He then faced Frankie Edgar and lost by knockout.
After a break from fighting, Mendes returned on July 14, 2018. He defeated Myles Jury by TKO in the first round, earning another "Performance of the Night" award. His last MMA fight was against Alexander Volkanovski on December 29, 2018, at UFC 232. He lost this fight by TKO, and it was also named "Fight of the Night." After this fight, Mendes announced his retirement from mixed martial arts.
Bare-Knuckle Boxing Career
In 2021, Chad Mendes announced he would start a new career in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). This sport involves boxing without gloves. He made his debut on February 19, 2022, at "KnuckleMania 2." He won his first bare-knuckle fight by technical knockout against Joshuah Alvarez.
On April 29, 2023, Mendes faced Eddie Alvarez at BKFC 41. He lost this fight by a close decision. This fight was also recognized as "Fight of the Night" and "Fight of the Year" for BKFC in 2023. After this bout, Mendes announced his retirement from all combat sports.
Submission Grappling
Chad Mendes has also competed in submission grappling, a sport focused on wrestling and jiu-jitsu techniques. In 2017, he defeated Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Jeff Glover. More recently, in August 2024, he won a match against Diego Brandão by decision.
About Chad Mendes
Chad Mendes comes from a diverse background, with Portuguese, Italian, Puerto Rican, Irish, and Native American heritage. He is married to Abby, and they have a daughter, who was born in 2019. Outside of fighting, Mendes founded a company called Finz and Featherz, which offers hunting and fishing guide services.
Championships and Accomplishments
Mixed Martial Arts Awards
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Knockout of the Night (One time) vs. Clay Guida
- Fight of the Night (Two times) vs. José Aldo 2 and Alexander Volkanovski
- Performance of the Night (Two times) vs. Ricardo Lamas and Myles Jury
- Tied (Conor McGregor) for third most knockouts in UFC Featherweight division history (6)
- UFC.com Awards
- 2011: Ranked #9 Import of the Year
- 2014: Ranked #2 Fight of the Year vs. José Aldo 2
- World MMA Awards
- 2014 Fight of the Year vs. José Aldo at UFC 179
- ESPN
- 2014 Fight of the Year vs. José Aldo at UFC 179
- BloodyElbow.com
- 2014 Fight of the Year vs. José Aldo at UFC 179
- MMAJunkie.com
- 2014 Fight of the Year vs. José Aldo at UFC 179
- 2014 October Fight of the Month vs. José Aldo
Collegiate Wrestling Awards
- National Collegiate Athletic Association
- NCAA Division I All-American (2006, 2008)
- Pac-10 Conference Championship (2008)
- Pac-10 Conference Wrestler of the Year (2008)
- NCAA Division I 125 lb: 6th place out of Cal Poly (2006)
- NCAA Division I 141 lb: Runner-up out of Cal Poly (2008)
Bare-Knuckle Boxing Awards
- Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship
- Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Eddie Alvarez
- Fight of the Year (2023) (vs. Eddie Alvarez)
Mixed Martial Arts Record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 23 matches | 18 wins | 5 losses |
| By knockout | 8 | 4 |
| By submission | 2 | 0 |
| By decision | 8 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 18–5 | Alexander Volkanovski | TKO (punches) | UFC 232 | December 29, 2018 | 2 | 4:14 | Inglewood, California, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 18–4 | Myles Jury | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Ivanov | July 14, 2018 | 1 | 2:51 | Boise, Idaho, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 17–4 | Frankie Edgar | KO (punch) | The Ultimate Fighter: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber Finale | December 11, 2015 | 1 | 2:28 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 17–3 | Conor McGregor | TKO (punches) | UFC 189 | July 11, 2015 | 2 | 4:57 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | For the interim UFC Featherweight Championship. |
| 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. |
| 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). |
| Win | 16–1 | Nik Lentz | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Benavidez 2 | December 14, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Sacramento, California, United States | |
| Win | 15–1 | Clay Guida | TKO (punches) | UFC 164 | August 31, 2013 | 3 | 0:30 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | Knockout of the Night. |
| Win | 14–1 | Darren Elkins | KO (punches) | UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Melendez | April 20, 2013 | 1 | 1:08 | San Jose, California, United States | |
| Win | 13–1 | Yaotzin Meza | KO (punches) | UFC on FX: Sotiropoulos vs. Pearson | December 15, 2012 | 1 | 1:55 | Gold Coast, Australia | |
| Win | 12–1 | Cody McKenzie | KO (punch to the body) | UFC 148 | July 7, 2012 | 1 | 0:31 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 11–1 | José Aldo | KO (knee) | UFC 142 | January 14, 2012 | 1 | 4:59 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | For the UFC Featherweight Championship. |
| Win | 11–0 | Rani Yahya | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 133 | August 6, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | |
| Win | 10–0 | Michihiro Omigawa | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 126 | February 5, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 9–0 | Javier Vazquez | Decision (unanimous) | WEC 52 | November 11, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 8–0 | Cub Swanson | Decision (unanimous) | WEC 50 | August 18, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 7–0 | Anthony Morrison | Submission (guillotine choke) | WEC 48 | April 24, 2010 | 1 | 2:13 | Sacramento, California, United States | |
| Win | 6–0 | Erik Koch | Decision (unanimous) | WEC 47 | March 6, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Columbus, Ohio, United States | |
| Win | 5–0 | Mike Joy | Decision (unanimous) | Tachi Palace Fights 1 | October 8, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Lemoore, California, United States | |
| Win | 4–0 | Steven Siler | KO (punches) | TPF: Best of Both Worlds | July 16, 2009 | 1 | 0:44 | Lemoore, California, United States | |
| Win | 3–0 | Art Arciniega | Decision (unanimous) | PFC: Best of Both Worlds 2 | April 23, 2009 | 3 | 3:00 | Lemoore, California, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Leland Gridley | TKO (punches) | PFC: Best of Both Worlds | February 6, 2009 | 2 | 1:58 | Lemoore, California, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Giovanni Encarnacion | Submission (rear-naked choke) | PFC 10: Explosive | September 26, 2008 | 1 | 2:06 | Lemoore, California, United States |
Pay-Per-View Events
| No. | Event | Fight | Date | Venue | City | PPV Buys |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | UFC 142 | Aldo vs. Mendes | January 14, 2012 | Jeunesse Arena | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 235,000 |
| 2. | UFC 179 | Aldo vs. Mendes 2 | October 25, 2014 | Ginásio do Maracanãzinho | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 180,000 |
| 3. | UFC 189 | Mendes vs. McGregor | July 11, 2015 | MGM Grand Garden Arena | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | 825,000 |
Bare Knuckle Record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 2 matches | 1 win | 1 loss |
| By knockout | 1 | 0 |
| By decision | 0 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1–1 | Eddie Alvarez | Decision (split) | BKFC 41 | April 29, 2023 | 5 | 2:00 | Broomfield, Colorado, United States | Welterweight (165lb) bout. Fight of the Night. Fight of the Year. |
| Win | 1–0 | Joshuah Alvarez | TKO (punches) | BKFC: KnuckleMania 2 | February 19, 2022 | 4 | 1:34 | Hollywood, Florida, United States | Lightweight debut. |
See also
In Spanish: Chad Mendes para niños
- List of current UFC fighters
- List of male mixed martial artists
