Ricardo Lamas hobbles, beats Diego Sanchez in Monterrey
A patient Ricardo Lamas picked Diego Sanchez apart over three rounds, earning a decision victory Saturday in Monterrey, Mexico. Lamas dropped Sanchez repeatedly with inside leg kicks and used his wrestling to take him down multiple times.
Scores were 30-27, all-around for Lamas. His win got him back on track after a stoppage loss to Chad Mendes in April. His bout with Sanchez was pretty competitive until the second round, when Lamas began chopping down the lead leg of "The Nightmare".
In the first, the two men measured one another out until Sanchez landed a hard right hook. That prompted Lamas to attack him with punches and kicks.
Then, the Illinois native took Sanchez down. The Jackson/Winkeljohn fighter was able to get out and the two traded punches until the horn. Sanchez struck first in the middle period, with stiff punches.
Lamas then looked for a takedown, and although he was unable to get it, he did land a hard inside, very low, leg kick to his opponent's lead peg. Sanchez buckled and then ate several more to the same leg.
Sanchez continued to absorb more kicks, buckled several more times, bleeding, and then got taken down again. Still, he was able to hit a switch and get the top position with two minutes left.
Lamas in turn hit his own switch and took Sanchez's back. Diego got free, attempted another switch but had his back taken.
The gutsy veteran escaped but then ate another crumbling inside low leg kick, as well as several punches and a knee to the head. Sanchez landed his own left knee to the head to start the third round, but was soon dropped once more by another inside leg kick.
Sanchez got up and, literally hopping on one leg, put his dukes up and ate more punches before taunting Lamas to charge him. Lamas obliged and then hit a spinning back fist on separation, followed by yet another inside leg kick.
The bout ended with Lamas pressing the game Sanchez against the cage.
Sanchez was only able to leave the Octagon afterwards while hobbling and leaning on his cornermen. Lamas implored the crowd to give the “Ultimate Fighter” season one winner a round of applause before he said anything else, post-fight.
"Please help me and cheer Diego Sanchez," he said.
Lamas became a father in June and had said having a family has only made him more motivated and dangerous. "This was my first fight as a father and I want to dedicate this fight to my family," he said, in victory.
The win improves Lamas' record to 16-4. Sanchez's loss drops him to 27-8.
