The waiting begins. After scoring a stunning first-round knockout of number four-ranked featherweight contender Ricardo Lamas at Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia on Saturday, top-ranked Chad Mendes will now await the results of the upcoming Jose Aldo-Conor McGregor and Frankie Edgar-Urijah Faber bouts to see what his future holds.
“I needed to come in here and make a statement,” Mendes said. “That’s what I said I was gonna try to do and I got it done. Ricardo’s a great opponent, he’s been on a tear, so that means a lot.”
Using slick footwork and a dynamic striking attack, Lamas kept Mendes from getting inside in the early going, but suddenly a crushing right hand dropped Lamas to canvas in the second minute, and “Money” went all-in for the finish. Lamas would remarkably make it to his feet, only to fall to the mat again after a knee to the head. Lamas rose yet again, but staggered back to the mat, with Mendes on top of him every step of the way. Finally, a couple more unanswered blows to the head brought in referee Dan Miragliotta to stop the bout at the 2:45 mark.