Top 10-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight contenders Ricardo Lamas (No. 4) and Charles Oliveira (No. 8) will duel this Saturday (Nov. 5, 2016) at UFC Fight Night 98 inside Arena Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City, Mexico.
Lamas has only lost to the division’s absolute best, cementing himself as a top name at 145 pounds. While he’s been unable to truly prove himself an elite Featherweight, Lamas has scored some big wins and is still looking to get back into the title mix. Meanwhile, Oliveira’s story is still one of potential, even if he is six years into his UFC career. Oliveira came seriously close to taking out one of the division’s top dogs in his last outing, and he’s been given a second opportunity here.
Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for both athletes:
Ricardo Lamas
Record: 16-5
Key Wins: Dennis Bermudez (UFC 180), Cub Swanson (UFC on FOX 1), Hacran Dias (UFC Fight Night 44)
Key Losses: Jose Aldo (UFC 169), Max Holloway (UFC 199), Chad Mendes (UFC Fight Night 63)
Keys to Victory: Lamas is a well-rounded and opportunistic veteran. He may not be the best in any one area, but his hard-nosed fight style and fight IQ have allowed him to climb into the Top 5. This is a deceivingly tough match up for Lamas. He generally has two paths to victory: He either out-grapples his foe from top position or can land more blows than his foe on the feet.
Both will be difficult against the Brazilian.
Since a straight grappling match does not favor Lamas, he needs to wear the Brazilian down early on. Lamas should be able to stop the early shot, and that will give him openings to land strikes and potentially dirty box. He’ll take some shots too, but Lamas is a tough bastard.
Over time, Lamas will likely prove to be the more consistent man. Oliveira tends to fade when forced to grind constantly, which should allow Lamas to take over the bout and potentially find a finish of his own if Oliveira leaves his neck out again.
VS.
Charles Oliveira
Record: 20-6 (1)
Key Wins: Nik Lentz (UFC Fight Night 67), Jeremy Stephens (TUF 20 Finale), Myles Jury (UFC on FOX 17), Hatsu Hioki (UFC Fight Night 43)
Key Losses: Frankie Edgar (UFC 162), Cub Swanson (UFC 152), Anthony Pettis (UFC on FOX 21)
Keys to Victory: Oliveira is one of the absolute nastiest grapplers in the sport. He’s not a systematic crusher like Demian Maia, but Oliveira has a varied and volatile arsenal of submissions that can end the fight in an instant.
In this bout, Oliveira needs to force his opponent to make a mistake. While Lamas could oblige him with an early grappling match — which would likely provide the Brazilian a chance to wrap up his opponent’s neck — it’s more likely that Lamas looks to keep this standing for the reasons outlined above.
With that in mind, Oliveira needs to go on the offensive early. He may be hittable, but Oliveira’s offensive Muay Thai is dangerous and punishing, as the lanky Featherweight batters his foe with kicks, knees, and long punches. If Oliveira really attacks, he’ll force a reaction out of Lamas. Lamas is not a great brawler, so he’s more likely to take an ugly shot, which would play directly into Oliveira’s game.
Bottom Line: Two Featherweights just outside the ranks of the elite are coming off a loss, and there’s likely to be a blood race to return to the win column.
Both fighters have lost two of their last three bouts, which puts a serious sense of urgency into this bout. Another loss would be devastating, dropping the unfortunate fighter down the ranks and forcing him to put together a win streak before being given another top five foe.
This is especially true for Lamas, who is the higher-ranked man heading into this scrap.
Meanwhile, the winner is back in the hunt for a title shot. Between Conor McGregor’s Lightweight goals and Aldo’s semi-retirement, the division is in a state of disarray. There are no guarantees in a situation like this, but the only way to capitalize is to walk into the chaos following an impressive win.
At UFC Fight Night 98, Ricardo Lamas and Charles Oliveira will throw down. Which athlete will have his hand raised?