Issue 129
June 2015
Chad Mendes expected a five-round war against Ricardo Lamas, but his heavy right hand notched him yet another first-round TKO
Chad Mendes might be due a visit from Homeland Security after his right hand proved to be a weapon of mass destruction once again at UFC Fight Night 63. He blew up Ricardo Lamas in the first round to jump straight back in line for another 145lb title shot.
The main event in Fairfax, Virginia was the perfect platform for ‘Money’ to make a statement against a highly-ranked contender and he wasted little time doing so. He landed 27 significant strikes to Lamas’ eight on his way to a dominant destruction.
“I expected to go out there and have a five-round battle,” Mendes said. That might come as a surprise, because it was his fifth KO in his last six wins.
“I just walked him down and I saw him starting to throw that long right, so I just slipped off to the side and hit him right down the pipe, right on the top of his head, and I just saw him crumble.
“Timing that right hand is something I’ve done for a long time; in camp we trained it every single day. My money shot is that right hand.”
That was the beginning of the end as ‘The Bully’ was melted onto the canvas multiple times by pinpoint punches before Dan Miragliotta stepped in after two minutes and 45 seconds. The Team Alpha Male standout had to practically beg the official to stop the fight when his opponent failed to defend some nasty coffin nails.
Coming off a loss to 145lb champ José Aldo in the 2014 ‘Fight of The Year’ in October, the UFC’s number-one-ranked featherweight and his Alpha Male brethren have done a fine job shaking off any cobwebs and getting back in the title hunt.
“I needed to go out there and finish that fight,” Mendes said. “It’s something we trained for and something that we were hoping for but nothing’s ever guaranteed in the sport.
“The game plan, honestly, was to get out there in the first round and feel him out. I wanted to get out there and feel his timing and feel his speed. He caught me with a couple of nice kicks and I got to feel his power, then I just said, ‘OK, I’m going in.’
“After a performance like that I hope I’m next in line for a title shot but it’s up to the UFC.”
The Californian has evolved from wrestler to knockout artist in a refreshing transformation, that’s filling his bank with dollars and keeping his name in the mix.
Yet another ‘Performance of the Night’ makes him one of the favorites to face the winner of July’s 145lb championship fight between José Aldo and Conor McGregor.
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