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Jose Aldo on top of his game in hard-fought victory over Chad Mendes

The greatness of featherweight champion Jose Aldo Jr. might best be measured by Chad Mendes, the man he out-scrapped Saturday in the epic main event of UFC 179 in Rio de Janeiro.

Mendes is 16-2 in a dominant career that has been marred only by a pair of losses to Aldo. None of his other matches were ever in doubt.

And yet, Mendes must again head to the back of the line and fight his way up because of the mastery of Aldo.

Mendes put on perhaps the best performance of his brilliant career on Saturday but he still couldn't hand Aldo his first defeat in nine years. 

Aldo is faster, tougher, smarter and better than everyone else in not only the featherweight division but also in all of the fight game. 

He's also established himself beyond question as one of the elites in the history of mixed martial arts. He deserves to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with legends such as former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, reigning light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko as among the handful of best to have ever done it.

UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo defeated Chad Mendes Saturday to win his 18th bout in a row. (Jason Silva/USA TODAY Sports)
UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo defeated Chad Mendes Saturday to win his 18th bout in a row. (Jason Silva/USA TODAY Sports)

Aldo won a richly earned unanimous decision, taking four of the five rounds on each of the three judges' cards to extend his winning streak to 18. He hasn't lost since 2005 and is now 25-1 in his career.

 

He's faced a who's who of fighters in the world and has come out on top every time since he was beaten as a 19-year-old in 2005.

The division is stacked with elite opposition and in addition to Conor McGregor, former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and streaking contender Cub Swanson can make an argument for a title shot. Edgar and Swanson will meet on Nov. 22 in Austin, Texas, to eliminate one of them from consideration.

With trash talking contender McGregor, who hasn't accomplished anything close to what Aldo has, seated at ringside, Aldo went out and fought perhaps his best fight.

Mendes brought the action to him and landed some serious punches. He kept the pace high to test the theory that Aldo's cardio would wane, but it was Aldo who stepped on the gas in the closing moments to show how a champion does it.

After the grueling, exhausting battle, Aldo came up with a great line, ridiculing McGregor.

"I think the court is complete here," Aldo said. "I'm the king. Chad is the prince and now we have a joker."

Conor McGregor may get the next shot at champion Jose Aldo if he defeats Dennis Siver on Jan. 18. (Jason Silva/USA TODAY Sports)
Conor McGregor may get the next shot at champion Jose Aldo if he defeats Dennis Siver on Jan. 18. (Jason Silva/USA TODAY Sports)

Give McGregor, who has only four UFC fights and a fifth scheduled on Jan. 18 against Dennis Siver, credit for stirring up the division. He captured the notice of not only the champion, but the vanquished challenger, as well.

"The one person lucky that decision didn't go my way is McGregor," Mendes said. "I'm still looking forward to whipping your [butt] one day."

But McGregor, the brash and outspoken Irishman, was just a minor subplot on this night. On a night when Mendes was perhaps the best he has ever been, Aldo was even better.

It was a rough battle and Mendes had his moments, but despite a mangled left eye that was swollen completely shut by the end of the match, it was clear Aldo had taken it. 

"I had three knockdowns during the fight, so I knew three rounds were mine," Aldo said. "Chad hit me hard but I knew I won the fight." 

It's going to take an incredible effort for someone to defeat him. Mendes gave one Saturday and came close.

Not many are as good and as dominant as Mendes.

And right now, no one is as good or as dominant as Aldo.