Mendes Meets Yahya at UFC 133 in Philadelphia

Chad Mendes will compete at UFC 133, just not against Jose Aldo. The Team Alpha Male product will instead meet the UFC featherweight champion’s countryman, Brazilian submission specialist Rani Yahya, the promotion announced Tuesday.

Mendes (Pictured) was originally rumored to receive his title shot against Aldo at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, but Aldo wrote on his Twitter account Monday that physical therapy for a preexisting injury will keep him out of the Octagon until September or October.

Going down Aug. 6, UFC 133 will be headlined by a pivotal light heavyweight contest between Phil Davis and Rashad Evans. Also featured will be a middleweight scrap pitting Alessio Sakara against fellow slugger Jorge Rivera, as well as a welterweight tilt featuring veterans Dennis Hallman and Brian Ebersole.

Mendes has posted a perfect record through 10 starts in his MMA career. The muscular wrestler made his Zuffa debut in March 2010, outpointing Erik Koch at WEC 47. The 26-year-old rattled off a four-fight win streak inside the little blue cage before making his UFC debut against Japanese import Michihiro Omigawa in February. Mendes used sharp boxing and powerful takedowns to dominate the Yoshida Dojo fighter for the bout’s three-round duration at UFC 126.

Yahya, also 26, comes fresh off a victory over former WEC featherweight king Mike Brown at UFC Fight Night 23. The win snapped a two-fight skid for the Brazilian, who was bested Joseph Benavidez and Takeya Mizugaki in his final WEC appearances. A former WEC bantamweight title contender, Yahya spent over two years at 135 pounds before returning to featherweight for his January UFC debut against Brown.