CR Exclusive Interview with Ricardo Lamas!

Photo by MMAjunkie.com

Ricardo Lamas is coming off of a huge win after taking a unanimous decision over #2 ranked Hatsu Hioki. Lamas was able to control most of the fight with superior wrestling, striking and great submission attempts. Lamas is now ranked among the top 5 featherweights in the world and is close to getting a title shot. We were able to get an interview with him after his big win. 

Championship Rounds: Hey Ricardo thanks so much for doing this interview. We were really happy to see you win recently. We've been fans of yours for a while. 

We at CR were some of the few that actually picked you to win that fight with Hioki. Do you believe that your underdog status helped motivate you in that fight? 

Ricardo Lamas: I have been the underdog in many of my fights.  Whether I'm the favorite or the underdog, I will train and fight the same way. 

CR: What was your game plan coming into Saturday? How did it work? 

RL: I was fighting with an injury so my game plan was to keep things simple. I think it worked out well.

CR: You said in the post-fight interview with Jon Anik that you have been with Zuffa for years but no one really knows you. How do you believe your win over Hioki has changed people's opinion of you? 

RL: I think it’s opened more people’s eyes and let them see that I can compete and win against the best fighters in the world.  

CR: In my opinion, a win over the number two featherweight in the world catapults you into the top five. Where do you rank yourself at 145? 

RL: I don't rank myself.  Only one spot means anything, and that spot belongs to the person holding the belt.

CR: You really showed off a good ground game against one of the best in the world. How much did you train to prepare for Hioki's masterful BJJ? 

RL: I train with world class jiu jitsu practitioners on a daily basis. What Hioki brought to the fight was nothing that I’ve never seen before.

CR: You are arguably the strongest featherweight in the UFC. How much strength training do you do in camp? 

RL: The first half of my camp is dedicated to a lot of strength training, then the second half is dedicated to more cardio and conditioning. 

CR: Why did you wait to go to featherweight? What made you want to drop down? 

RL: I wanted to drop down much earlier but when I was in the WEC, they told me they would prefer to have me at light weight, so I stayed there.

CR: What was your first martial art? How long have you been training in it? 

RL: I practiced Tae Kwon Do for 3 years. Then when I hit high school, I started wrestling and fell in love with the sport. I have been doing it ever since.

CR: A lot of people, including CR, are saying that you should be fighting the Korean Zombie in your next fight in a #1 contenders match. Any rumors on that?

RL: No rumors yet, still waiting to hear what the UFC has in store for me.

CR: How would you see a fight with the Korean Zombie going?

RL: A fun, bloody war.

CR: If you were to fight Jose Aldo, how do see that fight going? What would be your game plan? 

RL: No game plan, turn it into a brawl and come out of the gates swinging for the fences.

Thanks again! We can't wait for your next fight. 

Keep your eye out for Ricardo Lamas, he is doing big things! Make sure to follow him on twitter at @RicardoLamasMMA!