On Saturday night, the UFC made its triumphant debut in Mexico with UFC 180. Headlined by a heavyweight title fight, the card saw many Latino fighters compete, including two of the top featherweights in the world.
Former title challenger Ricardo Lamas took on surging 145-pounder Dennis Bermudez in a pivotal bout for the division. The fight lasted just one round, as Lamas was able to choke out Bermudez with a beautiful guillotine choke.
So what did we learn from this important fight? Let’s take a look back at this awesome win for Lamas.
What We’ll Remember from the Fight
We will definitely remember the finish—and how quickly Lamas snatched that guillotine choke. It was fast and violent and of near-perfect form.
Lamas hurt Bermudez on the feet at some point, which may have led to the eventual end. However, when Bermudez gave up his neck, Lamas was incredibly quick to snatch said neck and squeeze like a boa constrictor.
That was a memorable win for Lamas and a huge finish over a tough, talented fighter in Bermudez.
What We Learned About Bermudez
Although he is one of the brightest up-and-coming 145-pounders, he still has some work to do. He is definitely a top guy with the UFC, but he will need to tighten some things up to compete with the elite at 145.
The featherweight division is a shark tank, and Bermudez will not find any easy fights. He has drastically improved since TUF 14, and if he can continue to do so, he will be a threat at 145.
What We Learned About Lamas
He is still elite at 145. Despite his title hiccup against Jose Aldo—something he shouldn’t be ashamed of—Lamas is still one of the best featherweights in the world.
Bermudez had the longest winning streak in the UFC featherweight division coming into Saturday night, and Lamas took care of him with ease. That is a giant feat, considering many people were taking Bermudez over Lamas.
With one sweet tapout, Lamas has put himself right back into title contention.
What’s Next for Bermudez?
There are plenty of options for Bermudez going forward. Two guys who come to mind who could be his next opponent are Dustin Poirier and the Conor McGregor-Dennis Siver loser.
Poirier is a top fighter who is still looking to break the threshold of consistent top-10 fighters. His loss to McGregor proved that he is still struggling.
As for the McGregor-Siver loser, either one would match up interestingly with Bermudez. The winner would be back into the title picture, while the loser would be scrambling to recover.
What’s Next for Lamas?
He’s definitely not going to be next for a title shot given that he’s not far removed from his last bout with Aldo, but he is right back into the picture. That’s why a bout with Chad Mendes would be best for Lamas.
Mendes and Lamas are both former title challengers with legit skills. Pinning them against one another would result in a high-quality featherweight bout that would keep the winner on Aldo’s radar.
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