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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight champion Jose Aldo has withdrawn from a scheduled title defense against Conor McGregor at UFC 189 at MGM Grand Garden Arena on July 11 in Las Vegas due to a rib injury. Former two-time title contender Chad Mendes, who was put on standby last week when speculation began to swirl that the Brazilian had suffered a significant injury in training, will step into Aldo's place and fight McGregor (17-2) for the interim featherweight title. UFC president Dana White announced Aldo's withdrawal on ESPN's SportsCenter on Tuesday. Aldo (25-1) suffered the injury while training last week in Rio de Janeiro. The seven-time defending champion had attempted to recover in time to still compete on the pay-per-view card, but was ultimately forced to pull out. UFC.com issued the following statement:
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"UFC 189 has a new main event, as featherweight champion Jose Aldo has withdrawn from his July 11 title defense against Conor McGregor due to an injured rib. Chad Mendes, who had been on standby since news of Aldo's injury broke, will now face McGregor for the interim 145-pound crown at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas."
From the very outset, UFC has attempted to put a positive spin on the situation once reports began to surface that Aldo would not be ready for the much-anticipated showdown. Even though Aldo appeared eager to compete despite the disadvantage, conflicting reports out of South America painted a much different picture. Even though UFC risks a lot with a Mendes win, considering promotion of Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor broke the bank, keeping its Irish superstar in the line-up can reap tremendous rewards. McGregor will draw fans to UFC 189. If he's successful, it generates even more heat for the Aldo showdown. If he falls, UFC has a Mendes rematch in its back pocket, as well as the Aldo grudge match. ESPN broke the sad albeit predictable news through Twitter:
