Chad Mendes set to make Octagon return at UFC Boise vs Myles Jury

The last time Team Alpha Male staple and perennial top 5 featherweight contender, Chad Mendes was seen competing inside the Octagon was in December of 2015.

2015 was a busy year for the Sacramento native as he fought three times going 1-2 against the likes of Ricardo Lamas, Conor McGregor and Frankie Edgar(in that order).

Mendes would take off the next sixth months that followed his knockout loss to Edgar before he would test positive for GHRP-6 thus resulting in a two-year suspension that still has yet to end but will do so on June 10th. Which just so happens to be a month before his return bout’s official date…

The UFC announced today that Mendes will make his return to action against one of the 145-pound division’s dark horses, Myles “Fury” Jury.

THE BOUTS KEEP COMIN'‼️

It's @JamesVickMMA vs @FelderPaul

& @FuryJury vs @ChadMendes at #UFCBoise. pic.twitter.com/w79Xvhd3n2

— UFC (@ufc) May 7, 2018

The 17-2, Ultimate Fighter season 13 and 15 participant, Myles Jury will be coming into this fight riding dominant back to back wins over Mike De La Torre and Rick Glenn.

PhotoCred: MMAFighting

Jury won six straight under the UFC banner before getting his first taste of defeat in his career to Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC 182. After that loss, Jury would drop down to make his featherweight debut against Charles Oliveira who would end up catching Jury in an early guillotine and forcing him to tap.

For Chad Mendes, the time between fights will be the widest gap of his 21 fight career. He averages about three per year.

Throughout their respective careers, Jury has been more of the finisher between the two with 13(8 KO/TKO, 5 Submissions) to Mendes’ 9(7 KO/TKO, 2 Submissions). Aside from the fun clash of styles on paper, it will be most interesting to see how and if Mendes can return to the high-level form that he was performing at prior to his suspension. All of his four career losses have come to men that have held UFC gold at some point in their careers.

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 5/7/2018.