UFC on Fox 6: What's Next for Ricardo Lamas

UFC on FOX 6‘s main-card opening bout featured two premier featherweights, both vying for top contendership. Ricardo Lamas entered as the hometown favorite, prepared to wage war with fellow top-10 ranked 145er, Erik Koch.

After 7:32, Lamas was being separated by referee John McCarthy, and Koch was left sprawled on the canvas—a bloody half-conscious mess. Title hopes of the “New Breed” extinguished in gory fashion. The defeat marked the first time Koch has exited a cage on the losing end since 2010.

Lamas has now compiled four consecutive wins inside the Octagon with notable victories over Hatsu Hioki and Cub Swanson coming inside the same stretch.

Outside of a title shot, Lamas has very little to lobby for.

Featherweight champion Jose Aldo will meet Frankie Edgar in just one week, and the victor is likely looking at a bout with Lamas. Take note: I say likely, as Edgar's shown a tendency to turn in such remarkably competitive performances that he's often awarded immediate (see his encounters with B.J. Penn, Gray Maynard and Benson Henderson) rematches. 

If for some reason a match between Lamas and the winner of the Aldo/Edgar fight fails to immediately materialize, a fight with fellow surging featherweight Chan Sung Jung makes sense.

“The Korean Zombie” as he’s known, has rattled off three straight wins, toppling Mark Hominick, Dustin Poirier and Leonard Garcia (with the first Twister we’ve seen inside the Octagon) during his recent run.

Should Lamas be forced to tangle with Jung prior to meeting the champion, there can be no question as to his legitimacy as a title contender.

I’m game to see Lamas battle The Korean Zombie, as both utilize aesthetically pleasing approaches to combat, but in all honesty, Lamas may well be prepared for his shot at gold already.


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