10 Legendary MMA Bouts Where Both Fighter's Careers Never Recovered

2. UFC 179: Chad Mendes Vs. Jose Aldo

Jose Aldo UFC
Andrius Petrucenia on Flickr (Original version) UCinternational (Crop) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]

The 2014 Fight of the Year between Chad 'Money' Mendes and Jose Aldo at UFC 179 was nothing short of an instant classic. Both men put it all on the line and the fans seemed to love every minute of the bout.

Unfortunately, neither fighter has been the same since.

Aldo has looked good at times afterward, but the speed and precision that made him such a great champion has diminished since UFC 179. Heading into the fight with Mendes, Aldo was sporting an impressive 25-1 record. Since that time, he has gone 3-5, including the infamous 13 second KO loss to Conor McGregor. Though the Brazilian is still very formidable, his career has been steadily trending in the wrong direction post UFC 179.

Mendes had an even rougher go of it after the Aldo fight. He would drop two of his next three bouts prior to being hit with a two-year suspension due to a failed drug test.

After an impressive return win over Myles Jury, Mendes was TKOed by Alexander Volkanovski and subsequently decided to call it a career.

Contributor
Contributor

From 1999-2003 Jacques performed on the Florida independent pro wrestling circuit. He also has an amateur wrestling background and currently holds a certification in Krav Maga. Jacques graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2003, with a bachelor's degree in Political Science. He currently resides in Chicago, Illinois. Follow him on twitter @goodeals79.