UFC Fight Night Free Pick & Prediction: Chad Mendes vs. Ricardo Lamas
By Drew Sharper
FAIRFAX, VA (The Spread) – Who will emerge as the winner when top featherweights Chad Mendes and Ricardo Lamas collide this afternoon? Get our free pick here.
Mendes (16-2) is a two-time featherweight title contender, but he has come up short in both of his title chances against Jose Aldo. He has not competed since losing a close decision to Aldo back in October. Lamas (15-3) is on a two-fight win streak since he suffered a decision loss to Aldo back in February of 2014.
The latest odds according to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv have Mendes as the clear favorite, as he is getting a money line of -450 to win, while Lamas is getting odds of +325 to prevail. These two will meet in the main event of UFC Fight Night tonight. The event airs live on Fox Sports 1 at 1PM ET.
Both of these men have shown a lot of toughness and grittiness in their career. Mendes started as a wrestler, but has developed a very solid striking game over recent years. Lamas is more of a grinder that uses grappling and clinch fighting to get the best of his opponents. In this fight, the key will be Mendes’ strength. He is a very powerful 145-pounder, which should allow him to dictate where the fight goes. His explosiveness should also allow him to land some good punches while mixing in takedowns. Look for him to score a decision win in a strong fight.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT FREE PICK: Chad Mendes -450