The main event of UFC Fight Night 63 is a five-round featherweight bout between Chad Mendes and Ricardo Lamas. According to the current betting lines available at Several Bookmakers, Mendes is a -440 favorite (bet $440 to win $100) while Lamas is a +350 underdog (bet $100 to win $350). MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas opened up Mendes at -400 and Lamas at +280, and the majority of action has come in on the favorite Mendes. I agree with the action coming in on Mendes as I’m picking win to win this fight. Here’s why. Mendes (16-2) is 7-2 in the UFC with wins over Nik Lentz, Clay Guida, Darren Elkins, Yaotzin Meza, Cody McKenzie, Michihiro Omigawa and Rani Yahya with both of his losses coming to divisional kingpin Jose Aldo. The 29-year-old American comes from a wrestling background and his takedowns are some of the most explosive in the featherweight division. However, he has really worked hard to improve his standup and in recent fights has shown excellent boxing on the feet. He packs a big punch in his small frame and has the power to knock out most at 145 lbs. If Aldo wasn’t in the division, there is a very real chance Mendes would be the champion, but with two losses to the champ he’ll need to look good in his fights to get back into the title picture. Still, despite the losses to Aldo, Mendes remain an elite featherweight fighter and with a win over Lamas at UFC Fight Night 63, he’ll jump right back into title contention. Lamas (15-3) is 6-1 in the UFC with wins over Cub Swanson, Dennis Bermudez, Erik Koch, Hatsu Hioki, Matt Grice, and Hacran Dias with his lone loss in the UFC coming to the champ Aldo. The 32-year-old American is a well-rounded featherweight fighter who is dangerous anywhere the fight goes. He has very good wrestling that in most cases allows him to dictate where the fight takes place. On the ground he throws nasty ground and pound and he has slick submissions, and on the feet he has sneaky power and overall is a solid striker who is improving in the standup every time we see him. He has shown great defence in the UFC but in the past he has been knocked out a few times and his chin is something to keep an eye on. I think Lamas is one of the best featherweights in the world, but this matchup against Mendes seems like a very difficult matchup considering the skillset of his opponent, and that’s why you see him as a big underdog heading into it. Lamas is a great featherweight fighter, but Mendes is elite, and I’m expecting him to have a good showing here. I just feel like this is a really bad matchup for Lamas. Mendes is just as good on the feet as Lamas is and he packs more power than his opponent. Mendes also has the wrestling defence to keep the fight standing, and the wrestling offence to take his opponent down if need be. I just feel like Mendes is going to have a lot of success on the feet in this one and I wouldn’t be surprised if he wins the fight by knockout. The juice on Mendes is high for a reason, and that’s because he’s a very likely winner. So don’t hesitate to use him in parlays this weekend.
