(Yep, that’s Ricardo Lamas under the fake “Conrad McGillicutty” beard. Conor McGregor has responded by calling Lamas “a big fat mess making stupid videos.”)
Top-5 ranked featherweights Chad Mendes and Ricardo Lamas will meet in the main event of UFC Fight Night 63, April 4th at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia. The booking was announced last night during the UFC Fight Night 59 broadcast by FOX reporter Ariel Helwani, who added that the Mendes vs. Lamas show would have a 1 p.m. ET start time.
Mendes’s last Octagon appearance was a decision loss to Jose Aldo at UFC 179 — which marked the second time that Mendes was defeated by Aldo. There will have to be a changing of the guard if Mendes hopes to sniff another title shot in the future. (Hint, hint.) Lamas has scored wins against Hacran Dias and Dennis Bermudez since his own title-fight loss to Aldo last February at UFC 169.
Essentially, the winner of this fight could clinch a featherweight title shot — as long as Conor McGregor beats Jose Aldo in May. But if Aldo retains his belt? It’s hard to make a strong case for either guy to get another crack. That being said, a UFC event in the middle of the day is a great excuse to spend your Saturday afternoon eating wings and drinking beer, and that’s always a good thing. The current UFC Fight Night 63 lineup is…
Chad Mendes vs. Ricardo Lamas
Jorge Masvidal vs. Bobby Green
Dustin Poirier vs. Diego Ferreira
Michael Chiesa vs. Mitch Clarke
Timothy Johnson vs. Shamil Abdurahimov