Mendes on McGregor's trash talk: 'It's selling the fight ... I'm 100 percent OK with it'

As far as Chad Mendes is concerned, Conor McGregor should let the trash talk spew freely from his bearded mouth.

The brash, talented Irishman has been using pro wrestling-esque antics to sell their upcoming bout at UFC 189 and it is seemingly paying off, with the UFC already collecting $7.1 million at the gate.

"It's all just part of it, really,” Mendes said during open workouts on Wednesday, according to Matt Erickson and John Morgan of MMAjunkie.com. "I've dealt with guys like that all the time. I get in there, I deal with it, I beat him up, and you just go on with your life. It's all part of it.

"It's selling the fight, and this is what's bringing all these microphones right here. I'm 100 percent OK with it. This is a huge opportunity for me."

An emergency replacement for injured featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo, Mendes hasn't had to endure McGregor's torrent of trash talk for very long. One of the few advantages of taking the fight on short notice.

"I know this guy's going to talk all kinds of trash," Mendes said. "Luckily, I didn't have to listen to all this shit through an entire training camp. I can just come in here fresh."

Another advantage Mendes possesses is his experience in championship fights. The Team Alpha Male product only has two losses on his ledger, and both of those defeats came in title bouts against Aldo.

"I fought Jose the first time, so I knew what he felt like (the second time)," Mendes said. "I knew the task at hand. Being mentally prepared for that is tough. This is a title fight, and this is a fight with a lot of hype around it. But it’s a fight, just like any other fight."

Although it's not exactly clear how things will shake out once Mendes and McGregor are locked in a cage together on Saturday night, "Money" has the full support of the true UFC featherweight champion.