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UFC title-bout pullout has MMA chirping

By Alex Butler
J. Jaggers of Ohio State (R) squares off against Chad Mendes of Cal Poly in their 141 pound championship match during the 2008 NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Championships in St. Louis on March 22, 2008. Mendes will battle Conor McGregor on July 11 as UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo pulled out of the fight over a rib injury. File photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
J. Jaggers of Ohio State (R) squares off against Chad Mendes of Cal Poly in their 141 pound championship match during the 2008 NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Championships in St. Louis on March 22, 2008. Mendes will battle Conor McGregor on July 11 as UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo pulled out of the fight over a rib injury. File photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

LAS VEGAS, July 1 (UPI) -- With UFC 189 on deck next week, UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo (25-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) officially has pulled out of a title fight against Conor McGregor (17-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) due to a rib injury.

UFC President Dana White announced the news Tuesday night on ESPN's SportsCenter.

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Now McGregor will battle Chad Mendes (17-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) for the interim belt.

UFC 189 is set for July 11 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

"Andre Pederneiras, his coach, called and basically said that Aldo's rib is too painful, and he will not be fighting," White told ESPN. "So Chad Mendes now will fight Conor McGregor for the interim belt. Jose Aldo's pulled out of five title fights. Conor's ready to go. The No. 1 guy in the world, Chad Mendes, is ready to go. So it makes sense. They'll fight for the interim title, and whenever Jose Aldo is ready, then that fight can happen to unify."

"It's his decision. I don't feel great about it. We've spent a lot of money promoting this fight. A lot of people are excited about the fight, so it's definitely disappointing."

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A seven-time defending champion, Aldo suffered the injury during training last week in Rio de Janeiro, according to ESPN.

"If a man is scared for his life, we can not force him to step inside and fight me," McGregor told ESPN. "Doctors have cleared him to fight -- it's a bruise -- but he still pulled out. Rightfully so, the belt should be taken from him and we will contest for the interim belt or, in my opinion, the real belt."

The main card is at 10 p.m. and features bouts between McGregor and Mendes, Champ Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald, Dennis Bermudez and Jeremy Stephens, Gunnar Nelson and a fighter to be announced, and Thomas Almeida and Brad Pickett.

MMA fighters voiced their support on Twitter following the decision.

"Ho-zay has a serious injury, he made the right decision by pulling out of this fight," Vinny Magalhaes tweeted. "It really sucks to move around with a rib injury."

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