Last July, the LUX bantamweight title was on the line. Opposite worlds collided as the UFC hopeful met the UFC veteran. The crafty Beltran submitted Mendoza in the fourth round of what was likely the 2020 FIGHT PASS Fight of the Year.
“It was a good fight,” Mendoza said. “I think the best LUX fight. It was four rounds, but it was packed with action, and it was back and forth. I was winning that fight, but I got tired. I always finish my fights but not that one. It was four rounds and I felt bad and couldn’t move, so I lost.”
Time for a ride.#LUX009 pic.twitter.com/ZB2cUw6cXV
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) July 18, 2020
Suffering his first professional loss in the process, Mendoza waited only four months after the hardest fight of his career to get back in the saddle and earn his way back to the title.
Mendoza fended off Jesus Ramos at LUX 011 and proved to the world he wasn’t giving up on the bantamweight crown just yet.
“I got more experience,” Mendoza said. “I felt that feeling and I don’t want to feel it again so I’m preparing myself for a war. Five rounds, I’m ready.”
This whole sequence is just bananas.#LUX009 pic.twitter.com/z2GGtgHNmw
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) July 18, 2020
With an improvement in his cardio, as well as a keen understanding of Beltran’s prefight antics, Mendoza is prepared to harness the spirit of newly-minted UFC champion Brandon Moreno and bite through the trash talk and the intimidation and beat Beltran at his own game.
“I know it’s part of the game plan; he has to get in my mind but it doesn’t bother me,” Mendoza said. “I don’t even put attention on what he’s saying to the media and stuff.”
In Mendoza’s mind, the more Beltran says about him to the media, the better. With Beltran’s digital footprint being as big as it is, all he’s doing is helping introduce the world to his 25-year-old challenger.
That’s how ya kick off a title fight!#LUX009 pic.twitter.com/f9CD7JaqGv
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) July 18, 2020
Both men are saying all of the right things leading up to the biggest title fight in LUX history, but when the time for talk is over, Mendoza accepts fully that there are slim odds either man will take home an easy, highlight reel finish.
“I’m ready to be a champion,” he said. “I know it’s going to be a war because of my mentality. Marco is durable, too; he can take a hit and I can take a hit. It’s going to be a war. It’ll be better than the first one, but the difference is at the end of this fight I’ll be a champion.”
Catch Mendoza vs Beltran 2 at LUX 014 Friday, June 25, ONLY on UFC FIGHT PASS!
