‘I want to be able to talk when I’m 50’ – Chad Mendes on UFC’s punishing toll

Don't get Chad Mendes wrong. He will still have his phone switched on if any title fights come up.

As the globe knows by now, the Californian stepped in to fight Conor McGregor at UFC 189 on two weeks' notice. The 30-year-old was in good shape but not great shape and he flagged midway through the second round of his K.O loss. Mendes since claimed he would easily beat McGregor with a full camp. It is a theory fully backed by UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, who fights McGregor on December 12. In a conference call for The Ultimate Fighter finalé, the night before UFC 194, Mendes spoke about the difficulties of staying in peak condition just in case there is another incoming call from Dana White. He said, "Taking a bit of time off and letting your body heal is just as important as hard training. "This is a very rough sport. We are beating the hell out of our bodies every day we get in that gym. I feel that we do more damage in our training camps than we do in the fights, most of the time. "I want to be able to talk when I'm 50." "I'm staying active. I'm staying mentally prepared, technically and stuff, but I think it is stupid to train balls to the wall 12 months a year." Mendes added, "I'm keeping active but I wouldn't be able to train at full go the year round. I want to be able to walk when I'm 40, 50 years old. I'd be in a wheelchair [if I did]." The featherweight contender would happily step in for the UFC 194 main card if so desired but his priority is defeating Frankie Edgar on December 11 to put himself forward as the number one contender to face the winner of Aldo-McGregor.