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Former UFC featherweight title challenger Chad Mendes has announced that his upcoming fight against former UFC and Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez could be his last in combat sports.
The co-main event of BKFC 41, which takes place on April 29 at Denver's 1STBANK Centre, features Mendes taking on fellow UFC veteran Eddie Alvarez. However, Mendes has made it clear that he has "zero interest" in pursuing a Bare-Knuckle Fighting Championship title after this bout.
Mendes last competed in MMA in 2018 when he lost to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 232. He then signed with BKFC and made his debut in 2021. He has been inactive since then and hasn't fought in either MMA or BKFC. The 37-year-old defeated Joshuah Alvarez impressively in his BKFC first appearance, but if his next bout doesn't bring him a sizable payday, he could hang up his gloves.
“I don’t know. This honestly might be the last fight,” Mendes said in an interview with War Sports. “We’ll just kind of see how this one goes. But I mean, the plan in my mind is probably to hang them up after this. We’ve just gotta see how this fight goes, and we’ll go from there. I keep saying that, but money talks. I already told the wife this is likely to be the last one.”
He continued, “If we go out there and get a quick knockout, I might toy with one more.”
On the other hand, Eddie Alvarez is coming off a unanimous decision loss against Ok Rae Yoon at ONE on TNT 4 in April 2021. The 37-year-old has expressed interest in competing in BKFC and then signed in March 2023 with the promotion for a potential debut.
Mendes could potentially set himself up for a championship battle with double champion Luis Palomino with a victory over Alvarez. Mendes, though, clarified that wasn't what he was wanting.
Mendes and Alvarez are both known for their aggressive fighting styles and excellent grappling skills, making this an exciting matchup for fans of both MMA and BKFC. It remains to be seen if Mendes will indeed retire after this fight. Regardless of the outcome, the former UFC featherweight title challenger has left a lasting impact on the sport and will be remembered as one of the most exciting fighters of his generation.
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