Surging UFC featherweight contender Dennis Bermudez has quietly put together seven straight victories, so it’s tough to blame him for not being on board the Conor McGregor hype train.
Speaking on Submission Radio yesterday, The Menace said he’s overdue for a title shot, especially if he scores a win over former title challenger Ricardo Lamas at UFC 180.
In the meantime, Bermudez feels McGregor should wait his turn before they share the Octagon someday soon.
I mean it’s b——t, yeah, but I mean I’m just trying to stick with what I’m good at, you know. And right now it’s focusing on the guy in front of me and just worrying about this one win. If I keep winning, the belt is gonna land right across my lap. … But I’m working on getting a little bit more vocal…where I’ll be unfazed by that, and I mean if someone was talking to me in the ring and trying to clown me in the ring; like I’m gonna put my head in the middle of your chest and f—–g give you some air miles to the other side of the cage.
Bermudez, the No. 8 featherweight in the world according to the UFC’s official rankings, last competed at UFC on Fox 12 in July, scoring the biggest win of his career when he submitted ex-Strikeforce champ Clay Guida with a rear-naked choke.
While Bermudez has went the distance four times during his current win streak, he has been awarded an equal number of post-fight bonuses during that 17-month span.
Most recently, he has earned consecutive “Performance of the Night” awards for his TKO over Jimy Hettes and submission over Guida.
Meanwhile, McGregor, the No. 5 featherweight in the world, is riding a solid 12-fight win streak, including four straight inside the Octagon.
While many debated if Notorious was legit or not, his quick TKO over perennial contender Dustin Poirier at UFC 178 late last month silenced a good portion of his critics.
McGregor is currently awaiting an assignment for his next matchup, but it would be awfully difficult to deny Bermudez a crack at championship gold after eight wins in a row.
However, UFC President Dana White has already entertained the notion of giving McGregor the next title shot after Jose Aldo defends his belt against Chad Mendes at UFC 179, per Luke Thomas of MMA Fighting.
If Bermudez makes it past a very tough opponent in Lamas, should he receive a featherweight title shot before McGregor does?
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com