It’s not often you watch a fight that ends with a first-round demolition and come away feeling even the slightest amount of sympathy for the winner. But this time, I must admit, I did. It’s not because referee Dan Miragliotta forced Chad Mendes to keep pummeling poor, poor Ricardo Lamas (15-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) long past the point where Mendes (17-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) appeared to lose his enthusiasm for violence as an art form (though, OK, it’s not not because of that). It’s also not because the UFC forced Mendes to perform this feat of spectacular destruction in the middle of a Saturday afternoon at UFC Fight Night 63, all just to avoid going up against college basketball. I kind of liked that part, actually, especially when compared with those interminable FOX Sports 1 events that stretch on to the wee hours.
More:
Is Chad Mendes the best fighter stuck in second place? And, if so, is that so bad? – MMA Junkie