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#5 UFC Featherweight Division: Ricardo Lamas vs. Bill Algeo
This fight obviously should’ve seen former title contender Lamas taking on grappling expert Ryan Hall. But ‘The Wizard’ – who would’ve been looking for his fifth UFC win in a row – was forced out last week. And for a while, it looked like Lamas would probably be forced off the card too due to a lack of an opponent.
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However, at the time of writing, debutant Bill Algeo has now stepped in to take the fight, and, well, it’s difficult to see the newcomer having success based on the footage I’ve seen of him. ‘Senor Perfecto’ has a strong record of 13-4 and appears to be well-rounded, having plenty of finishes by submission and KO on his ledger.
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However, it’s also fair to say that as his competition has gotten stiffer, Algeo hasn’t picked up quite so many finishes. It’s also notable that the UFC-level opponents he’s faced – Shane Burgos, Jared Gordon, Brendan Loughnane – are also the opponents that have defeated him.
The Loughnane fight from Dana White’s Contender Series is particularly worrying when you consider exactly how the Brit defeated Algeo. An excellent grappler and clinch fighter, Loughnane was able to basically grind ‘Senor Perfecto’ down from the clinch and on the ground, denying him a spot in the UFC.
Lamas might be past his prime at this stage – he’s suffered three losses in his last four fights – but he’s still more than capable when it comes to grinding a foe down. ‘The Bully’ isn’t the most natural striker, but he hits hard enough, is devastating from top position, and has a nice array of submissions too.
Add in the fact that he’s got far more experience than Algeo – he’s been in the UFC since 2011 – and has actually prepared in a full fight camp as opposed to having a week’s notice, and it’s hard to see the UFC newcomer having success here.
Algeo probably has a puncher’s chance based on Lamas being out of action for over a year and coming off a bad KO. But that’s all I’m giving him here. I think Lamas will comfortably outwork him for a decision – assuming he doesn’t take the newcomer lightly of course.
The Pick: Lamas via unanimous decision
