My favorite highlight of him involves his face and Aldoâs knee.
Three-time UFC title challenger Chad Mendes may not be done with combat sports just yet.
âMoneyâ was a top-ranked Featherweight contender in the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and UFC for a long time. He went to absolute war with the likes of Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor in title fights, as well as taking out top names of his era like Ricardo Lamas and Cub Swanson. The heavy-handed wrestler retired from UFC competition in 2019 after a competitive loss to Alexander Volkanovski (who turned out to be pretty good), but his retirement didnât last too long.
In 2022, Mendes returned to action under the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) banner. He won his first fight via knockout then lost a split-decision to Eddie Alvarez in the BKFC 2023 âFight of the Yearâ (watch highlights). After the Alvarez loss in April 2023, Mendes returned to retirement ⌠for a time?
On Tuesday (Jan. 7, 2025), Mendes posted to social media and hinted at a return to combat sports. âThe big offers keep coming in and Iâm still down to whoop some ass,â he wrote. âSomething BIG just happened guysâŚ. Stay tuned.â
There are several likely options. For one, BKFC could have come to Mendes with an offer he couldnât refuse. Alternatively, Mendes explained that he was still under UFC contract while competing in bare knuckle, so thereâs a chance he could fight again inside the Octagon. Finally, Global Fight League (GFL) has been offering contracts to lots of ex-UFC contenders, so maybe Mendes inked a new deal there.
One way or another, it sounds like the 39 year old isnât done competing just yet.
Could be an ok fight for Cerrone I guess
What happened to him making big money in BKFC?
Keeping himself busy after hunting season. I think he owns a guide service.