Huge UFC 189 Fight Changed, Conor McGregor Gets A New Opponent

A huge fear of UFC's was realized today, as just hours after saying he was sure Jose Aldo would compete at UFC 189, the UFC Featherweight Champion pulled out of his fight with a rib injury.

Conor McGregor, Jose Aldo's original opponent, will now face Chad Mendes in an interim title fight. The winner will then face Jose Aldo to unify the UFC Featherweight titles. This comes after many criticized the UFC's selection of opponents for McGregor in the past, noting that he has yet to defeat a wrestler.

White and McGregor appeared on ESPN SportsCenter to break the news. McGregor didn't look thrilled, as he stand to miss out on a huge payday by not facing Aldo.

"Andre Pederneiras, his coach, called and basically said that Aldo's rib is too painful and he will not be fighting," White said. "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," White said.

When asked about the change in opponent, Conor McGregor said, "Four minutes into the first, Chad Mendes will be unconscious.

wrestlefan01 contributed to this article.