Chad Mendes wants to fight Ricardo Lamas ‘ASAP’

With this Saturday’s fight between Cub Swanson and Frankie Edgar having conditional title implications in the featherweight division, the rest of the weight class is left battling for position.

Former No. 1 contender Chad Mendes, who lost his rematch with featherweight champion Jose Aldo at UFC 179 in October, has zeroed in on the guy he’s like to see next — and that’s the other former No. 1 contender, Ricardo Lamas. According to UFC Tonight’s Ariel Helwani, who spoke to Mendes’ manager Mike Roberts, the Team Alpha Male fighter wants Lamas ‘ASAP.’

But there’s a potential hitch. As also reported on UFC Tonight, Lamas is playing a little wait-and-see with the fight between Irish firebrand Conor McGregor and Dennis Siver, which is slated to take place on Jan. 18 in Boston. Lamas told Helwani that he is going to stay in shape to jump in should Siver get injured, because a fight with McGregor is what he covets the most. Lamas — a former All-American Division III wrestler at Elmhurst — said he thinks that McGregor should have to “face a wrestler” before fighting for the belt.

Lamas lost his title bit to Aldo at UFC 169 in February, but has since won back-to-back fights. His latest — against Dennis Bermudez at UFC 180 in Mexico City on Saturday night  — was an eye-opener. Lamas sank a first-round guillotine to snap Bermudez’s seven-fight win streak.

With this Saturday’s fight between Cub Swanson and Frankie Edgar having conditional title implications in the featherweight division, the rest of the weight class is left battling for position.

Former No. 1 contender Chad Mendes, who lost his rematch with featherweight champion Jose Aldo at UFC 179 in October, has zeroed in on the guy he’s like to see next — and that’s the other former No. 1 contender, Ricardo Lamas. According to UFC Tonight’s Ariel Helwani, who spoke to Mendes’ manager Mike Roberts, the Team Alpha Male fighter wants Lamas ‘ASAP.’

But there’s a potential hitch. As also reported on UFC Tonight, Lamas is playing a little wait-and-see with the fight between Irish firebrand Conor McGregor and Dennis Siver, which is slated to take place on Jan. 18 in Boston. Lamas told Helwani that he is going to stay in shape to jump in should Siver get injured, because a fight with McGregor is what he covets the most. Lamas — a former All-American Division III wrestler at Elmhurst — said he thinks that McGregor should have to “face a wrestler” before fighting for the belt.

Lamas lost his title bit to Aldo at UFC 169 in February, but has since won back-to-back fights. His latest — against Dennis Bermudez at UFC 180 in Mexico City on Saturday night  — was an eye-opener. Lamas sank a first-round guillotine to snap Bermudez’s seven-fight win streak.