For a few minutes, Chad Mendes shocked the world.
Mendes, a last-minute replacement for UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, more than held his own against Conor McGregor at UFC 189, before ultimately giving way to a technical knock out and losing the interim featherweight belt in the second round.
McGregor, the current face of UFC, came out firing. The moment the fight began, the Irishman pounced at Mendes, launching punches like rockets blasting off to Mars.
Mendes was slow, if not steady, and strategically made his moves. But with every Mendes strike landed, McGregor — eventually bloodied by a gash over his right eye — raised his arms and…