Chad Mendes will make his return from a two-year suspension on Sunday and he is hoping to send out a statement to the rest of the featherweight division.
The 33-year-old was slapped with a two-year suspension by the USADA after testing positive for a growth hormone release stimulator.
He makes his highly-anticipated return to the Octagon at UFC Fight Night in Boise, Idaho against fellow American Myles Jury.
Mendes suffered the fourth defeat of his career when last seen in December 2015 against Frankie Edgar, while he also came off on the losing side of his match-up against Conor McGregor in July 2015.
The former featherweight title challenger insists his spell away from the UFC has passed quickly and claims he used that time to work on different training styles.
“It actually went by pretty damn quick,” Mendes said.
“I’m excited to get back in there and compete. The time away has been awesome for me. My body has healed up. Camp has been on point.
“I switched up some of the training styles I’ve done in the past and implemented a little more science and going off heart rate. We did some testing and figured out strengths and weaknesses. This is definitely the best I’ve ever felt during fight week.”
The Money has been working with Team Alpha Male fighter Rick Glenn, who lost via a unanimous decision to Jury in December 2017, and he is hoping that insider knowledge will prove crucial on Sunday.
After previously taking on some of the biggest names in the sport it?s unlikely Mendes will be fazed by the occasions and he is hoping to use the fight to send a message to the rest of the division.
Chad Mendes added: “I hope it’s like riding a bike for me, where I can just get back out there and do what I used to do before.
“I’m treating it like it’s the biggest fight of my life. It’s a comeback fight. I’ve been out for a while. This is a fight that I feel I need to win to prove that I belong back at the top of the division. That’s the plan.”
