McGregor promises historic Irish night in Mendes UFC title clash

“I have another question to answer now and I will do that in devastating fashion. He didn’t show up, where’s the pride? Where’s the fighter in him? Him and Chad are tweeting back and forward like little buddies.

“When a man is close to death they bunch up together. They know it’s over for them. If he grows a set of balls, his time will come.”

Meanwhile, Mendes has insisted that his short-term preparation will actually play to his advantage when he enters the octagon against such a ferocious all-round fighter.

“I’m feeling damn good right now,” he claimed. “I over train pretty quickly, within three to four weeks of a training camp I feel peaked.

“From the base I had jumping into this two-and-a-half week training camp, I feel fast and explosive. Time will tell but right now I feel great.”

McGregor’s switch of opponents at such short notice could cause some problems, though, despite his persistence that he will walk through Mendes. The American poses a different threat to Aldo, with his wrestling-like approach, compared to the agile hard-hitting tactics deployed by the world champion.

Mendes’ style could be a threat to McGregor, with his only two professional career defeats coming by submission, and his latest rivals is 8/1 to deliver a third loss by that method yet again.

However, crowd favourite McGregor will have a massive following in Vegas, with hundreds of Irish fans expected to travel, and is 13/2 to triumph by decision after three rounds for the first time since 2013, when he began his rampant run of stoppages.