Ultimate Fighting Championship

Ricardo Lamas: Every time you hit Diego Sanchez, he comes back harder

Published Nov. 20, 2015 1:59 p.m. ET

Elias Cepeda

Ricardo Lamas almost couldn't believe it when he was offered a fight with Diego Sanchez for Saturday's UFC Fight Night card on FS1. The featherweight contender never imagined a man who entered the UFC by winning a middleweight tournament on the inaugural season of “The Ultimate Fighter” could ever get down to 145 pounds.

"My initial thought, to be honest, was 'is he really going to make 145 pounds?' It's not something I ever thought he'd do," Lamas told reporters this week while in Monterrey preparing for their bout.

Lamas and the rest of the world will see for sure today if Sanchez can make weight. Assuming that he does, Lamas looks forward to testing himself against a star of his caliber.

"He's a big name. He's been involved in a lot of great fights. I was a fan of him, and now he's an opponent of mine," he admitted.

"As long as I perform to my best, I know that I'm going to come out victorious. That's the only thing I'm concentrating on. Of course, I want to give the fans a show."

Sanchez always fights at a frenetic pace and likely expects to do the same, Saturday. "The Bully" respects Sanchez's heart and doesn't necessarily see it going any different than that.

"I'm a fighter that goes in there and looks for a finish every second of the fight. So, let's get it on. Let's go."

Sanchez is a fighter who has always appeared to relish hard scraps, never backing away from blows. Lamas knows just how hard "The Nightmare" can be to put away, but he is confident he has the stuff to do it.

"Diego is always dangerous -- from the first second of the fight, to the last," he allowed.

"It seems like he gains power throughout the fight. Every time you hit him, he comes at you harder. So, it's going to be a tough fight. It's going to be a dog fight. I'm 100 percent ready for it, though.

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