UFC 179: Aldo vs. Mendes 2 | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Conor McBragger
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Introduction
UFC 179: Aldo vs. Mendes 2. October 25, 2014. Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The fifth UFC event in Rio de Janeiro. Jose Aldo defended the UFC Featherweight Championship against Chad Mendes by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) in five rounds, his seventh title defence. The fight was named Fight of the Year by multiple MMA outlets.
The main event was rescheduled from the cancelled UFC 176, where Aldo’s neck injury in early July had forced the entire event off the calendar. Aldo and Mendes had first fought at UFC 142 in Rio in January 2012 — Aldo finished with a knee at 4:59 of round one. This rematch was the opposite: five complete rounds of back-and-forth combat. Both fighters had knockdowns in round one. Mendes dominated round four. Aldo landed an illegal post-bell punch at the end of round one — controversy followed. Aldo won four of five rounds on two cards.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Quick Stats
3. The Build-Up
4. Main Event
5. Co-Main Event
6. Full Results
7. Bonuses & Awards
8. Records & Milestones
9. Legacy & Impact
10. FAQ
11. References
Quick Stats
Date: October 25, 2014
Venue: Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (FIFTH UFC IN RIO; rescheduled from cancelled UFC 176)
Main Event: José Aldo (c) vs. Chad Mendes — UFC FW Championship (REMATCH of UFC 142; second time both have fought in Rio)
Result: Aldo def. Mendes — UD (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) — 7th FW title defence; 18th consecutive win; FIGHT OF THE YEAR 2014
Notable: Both fighters had knockdowns in R1; Mendes dominated R4; Aldo punched after R1 horn (controversy); Aldo’s 7th defence; FOTN $50k each; Gilbert Burns UFC debut (POTN)
The Build-Up
Aldo and Mendes had first fought at UFC 142 in Rio in January 2012, where Aldo knocked Mendes out with a knee at 4:59 of round one, with one second remaining in the first round. Mendes had spent the intervening two years knocking out multiple FW contenders, improving his boxing, and earning a rematch. The UFC 179 fight generated more organic fight-week enthusiasm than any FW event since Aldo’s WEC days.'),
Main Event
José Aldo (c) vs. Chad Mendes — UFC FW Championship
Round one saw both fighters exchange knockdowns: Aldo dropped Mendes early, Mendes dropped Aldo late. Aldo then landed a punch after the round-ending horn with Mendes badly hurt. Referee Marc Goddard and Aldo both cited crowd noise as the reason for the post-horn strike. Mendes recovered. Rounds two and three went to Aldo. Mendes dominated round four, threatening to take the fight on the scorecards. Aldo rallied in round five with accurate striking. All three judges scored it 49-46 for Aldo.'),
Co-Main Event
Glover Teixeira vs. Phil Davis — Light Heavyweight
Teixeira controlled the fight with wrestling and clinch work throughout three rounds. Davis’ wrestling was neutralised by Teixeira’s top control and ground-and-pound. Judges scored 30-27 x3 for Teixeira.'),
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Gilbert Burns def. Christos Giagos — Sub — R? — LW; Burns UFC debut; POTN ($50k)
Fabio Maldonado def. Hans Stringer — KO — R? — LHW; POTN ($50k)
Yan Cabral def. Maximo Blanco — Decision — R3 — LW
Neil Magny def. William Macario — TKO — R? — WW
Main Card
Glover Teixeira def. Phil Davis — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 (30-27 x3) — LHW; Co-Main
UFC FW Championship (5 rounds) — Main Event
José Aldo def. Chad Mendes — Decision (Unanimous) — R5, 5:00 (49-46 x3) — 7th FW title defence; FIGHT OF THE YEAR 2014; FOTN ($50k each); Aldo post-horn punch controversy R1
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night: José Aldo vs. Chad Mendes — $50,000 to each fighter.
Performance Night: Fabio Maldonado + Gilbert Burns — $50,000 each.
Records & Milestones
José Aldo — 7th consecutive FW title defence; 18th consecutive professional victory; longest win streak in the sport at the time.'),
Gilbert Burns UFC debut — won by submission and earned a Performance of the Night bonus; Burns became a top UFC WW contender over the following years.'),
Fifth UFC in Rio — Maracanãzinho hosted its first UFC event (previous Rio events were at HSBC Arena).'),
Legacy & Impact
UFC 179’s main event delivered what UFC 142 had not: a full five rounds of the two best FW fighters of that era competing at their limits. Mendes arrived with improved boxing and a legitimate ability to take Aldo down. Aldo arrived with enough ring intelligence to win four rounds against a challenger who beat him in round four. The fight is still cited as one of the finest FW contests ever contested.'),
The post-horn punch in round one is the fight’s lasting controversy. Mendes was badly hurt and fell to the canvas after the bell. Had the round not ended when it did, or had Mendes been unable to continue, the fight might have ended there. Instead it continued for four more rounds, which was better for the sport.'),
FAQ
Why was UFC 179 rescheduled from UFC 176?
Aldo withdrew from his scheduled UFC 176 title defence against Mendes on July 2, 2014, with a neck/shoulder injury. The UFC cancelled UFC 176 on July 8, unable to replace the main event with less than a month before the fight. The rematch was rescheduled for UFC 179 in October.
Did both fighters have knockdowns in round one at UFC 179?
Yes. Aldo knocked Mendes down early in round one. Later in the same round, Mendes dropped Aldo. Both fighters were hurt at different points of the first round.
Was there a controversy about Aldo's punch at UFC 179?
Yes. At the end of round one, Aldo landed a punch after the horn as Mendes was hurt. Mendes fell to the canvas. Referee Marc Goddard and Aldo both attributed the late punch to crowd noise preventing them from hearing the bell.
What was the significance of UFC 179 as a Fight of the Year?
Multiple outlets named Aldo vs. Mendes 2 their 2014 Fight of the Year. The combination of both fighters having knockdowns, Mendes dominating round four, Aldo's five-round survival and rally, and the post-horn controversy made it one of the most complete title fight narratives of the year.
Was UFC 179 the fifth UFC in Rio?
Yes. Previous Rio events: UFC 134 (August 2011), UFC 142 (January 2012), UFC 153 (October 2012), and UFC 163 (August 2013). UFC 179 at Maracanãzinho was the fifth.
References
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