UFC 148 Results Recap: Chad Mendes Vs. Cody McKenzie

Cody McKenzie gets knocked out during UFC 148 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, July 7, 2012. Esther Lin, MMA Fighting

In the second PPV fight at UFC 148: Silva vs. Sonnen II, Chad Mendes stopped Cody McKenzie in the first round. Mendes scored the TKO win after just 31 seconds. This was Mendes's return fight after losing to Jose Aldo, and he now brings his record up to 12-1. McKenzie is now 13-3, 2-3 in the UFC.

This was a fight between the #2 Featherweight in the world, and a fighter far outside the top 25, which meant it was always going to be a mismatch. Still, it was a bit surprising just how quickly Mendes dominated. Never known for his stopping power, Mendes landed a perfect straight right to the body that floored McKenzie, quickly finishing him up with ground and pound. It was exactly the fight Mendes needed after his Featherweight title fight loss, and a great rebound win.

What was the high spot of this fight?

It was pretty short, but that beautiful right to the body from Mendes stands out. It's been nice to see body shots become more used in MMA lately, and this was a great example of their effectiveness.

Where do these guys go from here?

Great win aside, Mendes remains in a tough spot in the division. He looked fantastic here, and is likely to beat pretty much anyone he faces at 145. Except for Jose Aldo, who I don't see him rematching any time soon. For now though, he should get another contender, and Ricardo Lamas makes sense after his upset of Hatsu Hioki last month.

Dana White was uncharacteristically critical of Cody post-fight, so don't expect any matchmaking favors for him next time out. If he doesn't get cut right now, he'll be on the prelims fighting for his job next time.

Watch it now, later or never?

Later. It's short and features a very nice KO, which is all you need sometimes.

SBN coverage of UFC 148: Silva vs. Sonnen II

More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC 148 in the full entry.

UFC 148 Results: Rashad Evans Asks To Fight Anderson Silva - Tim Burke

UFC 148 Results: Chael Sonnen Reveals Himself Again In Defeat Against Anderson Silva - David Castillo

UFC 148 Results: What's Next For The Main Card Fighters - Tim Burke

UFC 148 Video: Post-Fight Interviews With Anderson Silva, Forrest Griffin, Cung Le, More - Nate Wilcox

UFC 148 Results And Video: Dana White Furious With Forrest Griffin - Josh Nason

UFC 148 Results: Sunday Perspective - T.P. Grant

UFC 148 Results: The Legal Gray Area Of Anderson Silva's Knee On Chael Sonnen - KJ Gould

UFC 148 Results: Second Place Sonnen Found A Way To Lose - Nate Wilcox