UFC Fight Night 63: Chad Mendes vs. Ricardo Lamas Preview

UFC Fight Night 63 goes down this Saturday (April 4, 2015) from Virginia, and the card is being headlined by a clash of featherweight beasts as Chad “Money” Mendes squares off with Ricardo “The Bully” Lamas.

Both men have lost to current champion Jose Aldo, but they both have also remained around the top of the divisional rankings and will be looking to earn another title shot soon. It should be a very close and entertaining fight between two warriors.

Check out the LowkickMMA Chad Mendes vs. Ricardo Lamas preview here:

Striking:

Chad Mendes has improved his striking immensely over the years, training under highly touted striking coach Duane “Bang” Ludwig. He has transformed from a collegiate wrestler into a well-rounded mixed martial artist possessing extremely powerful striking. He also moves very well on the feet showing quick footwork.

Lamas is also no slouch on the feet, but in my opinion, he is nowhere near the level of “Money”. Mendes had more success striking with Aldo then Lamas did and Mendes is also the owner of six knockout wins as opposed to Lamas’ four. I just think the Team Alpha Male product will be too fast and powerful on the feet which is why I’m giving Mendes the 60-40 advantage.

Wrestling:

This is the area each man knows best. Both men were collegiate wrestlers, with Mendes sharpening his skills at the NCAA Division 1 level, while Lamas competed at the NCAA Division III level. Mendes has also had more success with his wrestling inside of the Octagon, averaging 4.18 takedowns per contest as opposed to Lamas’ 1.72. “Money” also holds the accuracy advantage, scoring 54.29% percent of his takedowns, while “The Bully” hits 31.37% of his.

What really sticks out in this department, is the takedown defense of each man. Lamas has defended 48.28% of takedowns against him which isn’t terrible, but Mendes has stopped a perfect 100% of takedowns attempted. Despite both men being wrestlers, Mendes has to get the advantage here 60-40.

Submissions:

This is the area where Lamas holds the clear cut advantage. He holds only four submission wins as opposed to Mendes’ 2, but he is very active on the canvas. Lamas also has a 1.29 submission average as opposed to “Money’s” very low .33 average.

“The Bully” also possesses some lethal chokes, and may look to submit if the bout ends up on the ground. I see this fight playing out on the feet, but if it indeed heads to mat Lamas will have the 60-40 advantage.

This has all the makings to be a great fight, and one that could decide who gets the next shot at the featherweight title. Who are you picking?