Featherweights
Ricardo Lamas (19-8) vs. Bill Algeo (13-4)He had a sudden drop from featherweight contender to veteran gatekeeper, but Lamas remains one of the more underrated outs on the UFC roster. Even during his run towards a 2014 title fight against Jose Aldo, Lamas has never had one particular skill that jumps off the page, but his well-roundedness and physical power has allowed him to take advantage of every opportunity that his opponents give up. Whether it was a knockout blow or a reversal and a submission on the mat, Lamas has shown a knack for turning his fights as soon as his opponent makes a mistake or gets overconfident. Lamas was still entrenched as a top featherweight as recently as 2017, but while a surprising knockout loss to Josh Emmett has aged well in terms of the latter’s own success, it did portend that Lamas is slowing down and the margins are getting a bit thinner. Given a defensive blank slate in Darren Elkins, Lamas still managed to lay down a beating, but losses to Mirsad Bektic and Calvin Kattar have seen him struggle to catch up against the newer generation of athletes. Lamas was one of the few men brave enough to accept a fight against frustrating submission specialist Ryan Hall, but with Hall injured, “The Bully” now faces a promotional newcomer and Dana White’s Contender Series alum in Algeo. A former Cage Fury Fighting Championships titleholder, Algeo had a solid showing in his DWCS assignment, albeit in a loss to Brendan Loughnane; and he could give Lamas some trouble. He can hold his own anywhere and has a large frame for the featherweight division. However, he is also far too overconfident on the feet, and Lamas figures to make Algeo pay in ways some of his previous opponents could not. The pick is Lamas by second-round stoppage, though the true falloff could start at any time for the 38-year-old.
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