Chad Mendes one step closer to title shot after besting Nik Lentz
There was just something about Nik Lentz and his pre-fight interviews that got under Chad Mendes' skin.
Several times leading up to the bout on Saturday, Mendes remarked how Lentz was just too cocky and talked too much trash for a fighter that hadn't proved himself against an elite featherweight so he was going to teach him a lesson in the Octagon.
Mendes' prophesized that he would knock Lentz out cold and as he came charging out of the gates like a bull seeing red, his prediction almost came true.
Mendes was throwing heavy leather and breathing fire as soon as the referee said go, and it was Lentz's chin the was tested. The former All-American wrestler, who has developed quite the knockout shot, tagged Lentz with a big punch early that left him rattled. Mendes mixed in a series of takedowns as well to keep Lentz off balance as the first round started to tick away.
The productivity for Mendes lessened in the second round, but he still managed to toss Lentz to the ground just halfway through the five-minute session. Lentz worked back to his feet, but it only lasted for a moment before Mendes put him back on the mat begging for air underneath the powerful wrestler.
As the third round started, Mendes slowed down with his conditioning backfiring on him the longer the fight continued. It opened up opportunities for Lentz to press the action and even stuff one of Mendes' takedown attempts. Lentz finally got Mendes backing up, but couldn't connect with the kind of punches to do any kind of serious damage.
Out of nowhere with less than a minute to go in the fight, Mendes uncorked a flying knee that surprised everyone, probably Lentz most of all. The flashy move brought the Sacramento crowd to their feet as the last seconds of the third round expired and everybody knew their hometown fighter was going to get the win.
The judges saw the fight 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 all for Mendes.
Mendes (16-1) gets his fifth win in a row since losing in a title fight against featherweight champion Jose Aldo in early 2012. While the bout against Lentz stopped his knockout streak at four fights, the win surely moves Mendes very close to another crack at the belt in the near future.
Lentz (26-6-2) suffers his first loss since dropping down to featherweight last year. The setback, while certainly disappointing, shouldn't push the veteran fighter too far down the ladder after a valiant performance over the top ranked 145-pound contender in the world.
