As expected, UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo and his opponent Ricardo Lamas were fit and lean during Friday’s weigh-in ahead of Saturday’s night clash at UFC 169. The champion weighed in at 145 pounds, and the challenger was a ready 144.5 pounds.
Bleacher Report MMA has the official word and thoughts about Lamas’ condition and demeanor:
Check out this preview of the bout from the UFC’s YouTube channel:
The combatants stepped on the scale at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J, which will also be the site of the event. Aldo and Lamas were respectful and non-confrontational during the staredown, so fans will have to wait for Saturday night to see the fireworks begin.
The bout is part of a stacked card that also features UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao taking on Urijah Faber.
Also on the card is a high-stakes heavyweight bout between Frank Mir and Alistair Overeem. The loser may be in danger of losing his spot on the UFC roster.
With those three solid fights lined up for Saturday night, it’s hard to definitively say which one will be the most intriguing. The Aldo vs. Lamas match probably deserves the edge.
This is a fresh matchup between two fighters who are still in their prime. It could be argued that Barao and Faber are still in the midst of their best days as fighters, but this will be the second battle between them. Barao won the first fight, and it wasn’t filled with excitement.
Were it not for yet another injury to former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, we wouldn’t even be seeing this fight again—at least not now.
Mir vs. Overeem offers a sense of desperation, but few people would consider either man a legitimate threat to Cain Velasquez’s heavyweight title.
Aldo has his sights set on becoming the best fighter in UFC history, but he understands he has to take one fight at a time. He told John Morgan of USA Today: “I’m very young, and I still have a lot to accomplish. But I feel like I can be the greatest ever. I want to break every UFC record.”
Lamas is known for his quiet demeanor, but as he says in the above video preview of the fight, he “likes to do his talking on fight night.” Whose fist, feet and elbows will speak loudest on Saturday?
You’ll have to tune into the pay-per-view to find out.
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