UFC 189: Chad Mendes and Conor McGregor unite, refuse to fight Jose Aldo in Brazil

For the first time ever, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will have someone other than Jose Aldo to call featherweight champion.

That's because Aldo will have to share the title with either Chad Mendes or Conor McGregor after an interim champion is crowned at UFC 189 on July 11, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Of course, once he is 100-percent healed from the untimely rib injury that knocked him out of the pay-per-view (PPV) headliner, Aldo will have the chance to unify the belts and reclaim sole ownership of the title of best featherweight in the world.

But if Mendes and McGregor have their way, that championship fight won't be taking place in Brazil, as both men revealed during Wednesday's (July 1, 2015) media conference call that once Aldo returns, they won't give him the luxury of having home field advantage.

"It's the McGregor division now," declared Conor. "He went running, it's my call now. So if he wants to come back with his tail between his legs, that's no problem. He can come back and we can do the stadium in Dublin. But it's my call now."

As for "Money," he has no desire for a third title fight in Brazil.

"I agree," Mendes declared. "I fought the guy twice in Brazil now. If I get that belt, I am fighting that dude in the states this time.

Mendes came up short in separate attempts to dethrone Aldo. First at UFC 142 back in 2012 and then at UFC 179 two years later. Perhaps a trilogy fight on American soil might bode well for the wrestling powerhouse.

If the stars align for McGregor, he'll continue to lobby for the title unification fight against Aldo in Dublin, Ireland, on Oct. 24, 2015. That's when the promotion will make its return to the Irishman's homeland.

Plus, Jose Aldo is tentatively scheduled to make his Octagon return in October.

Coincidence?

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