CONOR McGREGOR brutally knocked out Chad Mendes to win his first piece of UFC gold.
Mendes filled in on just two weeks notice when Jose Aldo pulled out of his grudge match against McGregor injured.
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The American started the bout well before tiring and falling victim to a second-round KO.
McGregor later finished Aldo in 13 infamous seconds five months to unify his interim featherweight title to become undisputed champion.
But Mendes revealed it was actually his own bout against Aldo from 2014 which was his toughest.
The UFC classic went the full five rounds and is considered one of the greatest title fights of all time.
Mendes told MMA Fighting: “Aldo’s a beast. I still tell everybody to this day, that was my toughest fight.
“Everyone always thinks it’s Conor, but it wasn’t. Aldo was next level. I think that took about ten years off my life, I always say.
“That night I got back to the hotel, I was pissing blood. I’d never had that happen on any of my fights. I was pretty beat up after that fight.”
McGregor, 36, would go onto become a two-division champion by adding the lightweight title to his featherweight strap in 2016.
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More recently, he was due to return on June 29 against Michael Chandler, 38, but injury forced him out.
Mendes, 39, meanwhile left the UFC in 2018 and crossed over to bare-knuckle boxing but he has since retired.
Aldo, 37, on the other hand made a winning return to the UFC beating Jonathan Martinez, 30, in May.
Mendes said: “He’s a beast, man. I’m definitely not surprised he came back and completely dominated like that.
“I didn’t even know he was coming back. He doesn’t need to. I think he just has the true love for it.
“And honestly, I do too, that’s why I keep coming back. But that’s awesome, man. I always like watching Aldo fight.”
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