It may not be the fight the UFC spent a lot of money promoting, but it certainly isn't a bad backup plan: Chad Mendes vs. Conor McGregor for the UFC interim featherweight title.

Mendes has made no secret that he will bank on his wrestling acumen when the Octagon doors are closed Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The questions about the wrestling ability of McGregor are warranted, and it will be his toughest test when he finally feels Mendes' rushes and takedown attempts.

For all the fancy spinning techniques that McGregor loves to showcase, what could end up being the most crucial skill against Mendes is his grappling and jiu-jitsu. It's almost a certainty that McGregor will find himself on his back, how, and if, he can battle his way into a better position might be what ultimately decides the fight.

In those spaces before Mendes times his takedowns, McGregor cannot be too over confident as the No. 1-ranked featherweight contender has proven multiple times that he can knock anyone out on the feet. All eyes will be on UFC 189 Saturday, and McGregor will be facing his biggest test under the brightest lights.

Very few people are talking about the co-main event, but it promises to be an absolute delight for MMA fans to watch as UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald get together for the second time.

While their first meeting was a close fight, MacDonald appeared to be too tentative in too many instances that night. He has looked like a different beast following that loss, and an improved MacDonald, already elite in skill and technique, should be a concern for the champion.

Everyone knows about Lawler's striking, and much like McGregor, he has to make the most of the time MacDonald battles him on the feet. He Canadian is the better wrestler, and will almost surely try to take the champion down to win rounds.

The UFC 189 co-main events epitomize the battle between styles that is the allure of mixed martial arts. The fights' results may be up in the air, but the fans have already certainly won.

UFC 189 is on Saturday, July 11 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.