Beating the Odds: UFC 180
Ricardo Lamas improved to 6-1 in the UFC. | Photo: Jeff
Sherwood/Sherdog.com
They call him “The Bully,” and he often lives up to the moniker.
Ricardo Lamas, a +182 underdog, submitted “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 14 finalist Dennis Bermudez with a first-round guillotine choke in their featherweight showcase at UFC 180 “Werdum vs. Hunt” on Saturday at Mexico City Arena in Mexico City. Bermudez (-217) tapped out 3:18 into round one, ending his streak of seven consecutive victories.
Advertisement
In the only other upset via stoppage, American Top Team’s Hector Urbina (+170) finished Edgar Garcia (-200) with a guillotine choke 3:38 into their featured clash at 170 pounds. Garcia remains winless in three appearances inside the Octagon.
Meanwhile, Jose Alberto Quinonez (-240) was expected to soar to victory in “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” bantamweight final against Alejandro Perez (+200). However, he was docked two points for an intentional third-round head butt and wound up on the wrong side of a 29-26, 29-26, 28-27 unanimous decision. Perez utilized low kicks, powerful punches, submission attempts and strong defensive grappling in picking up the win.
Finally, Marlon Vera (-250) found favor with the oddsmakers prior to his preliminary bantamweight bout with Marco Beltran (+210). It mattered not. Vera was the more technical fighter, but Beltran’s athleticism, explosiveness and submission defense helped him squeeze out a 29-28 unanimous decision in a closely contested match. Beltran -- who entered his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut on a three-fight losing streak -- used his takedowns and ground-and-pound, while successfully defending guillotine, triangle, heel hook and rear-naked choke attempts.
Related Articles