Taking on a streaking fighter fans feel may be the future of the featherweight division is nothing new to Ricardo Lamas. After all, the 34-year-old has been put in the position over and over again in recent years.
Lamas (16-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) is set to face Max Holloway (15-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) at UFC 199, which takes place June 4 at The Forum in Los Angeles. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.
Holloway enters the fight on an eight-fight winning streak, but Bermudez seems unfazed by the younger fighter’s success. After all, he’s been cast as the opponent before and put a halt to significant hot streaks.
“I like to play the spoiler a lot,” Lamas told MMAjunkie Radio. “A lot of my UFC fights have been against these up-and-comers, these guys on streaks, these guys coming in from other organizations. I played the spoiler against Cub (Swanson), everybody thought he was going to roll through me. I played the spoiler against (Hatsu) Hioki, against Erik Koch and against Dennis Bermudez. I’m kind of used to it by now. I’m the Rodney Dangerfield of MMA, I don’t get no respect.”
At UFC 169, Lamas got a crack at then-champion Jose Aldo and the featherweight title. Aldo won the fight by decision, snapping a four-fight winning streak for Lamas.
Lamas said the title is still his ultimate goal and he takes his losses as learning opportunities.
“I’m a completely different fighter now,” Lamas said. “Every camp I go through, I improve. I feel more mature and smarter as a fighter. You can’t judge someone on their past fights, it’s what they’re doing now and what they’re going to do. I don’t look at it as losing, I look at it as learning and improving.”
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