FC Gym Stories: Ricardo Lamas Battles a "Baboon"
FC Gym Stories: Ricardo Lamas Battles a "Baboon"
Perennial UFC featherweight title contender Ricardo Lamas recalls his first time stepping into MMA Masters gym in Miami.
By Tony Reid
In our latest installment of Gym Stories we catch up with UFC featherweight contender Ricardo Lamas, who steps into the cage this weekend at UFC 199 to face Hawaiian Max Holloway in what could be considered a title eliminator in the 145-pound division.
“The Bully” is certainly no stranger to competing at the highest level of the sport. After a title tilt with Jose Aldo and with Octagon victories over Cub Swanson, Dennis Bermudez and most recently Diego Sanchez, it’s safe to say he’s comfortable exchanging blows with some of the baddest men on the planet.
Hailing from and fighting out of Chicago, Illinois, Lamas was looking for a warmer alternative when he made the decision to take his talents to Miami and check out the MMA Masters gym a few years ago. What he clearly wasn’t ready for was the moment he first stepped into the cage to spar with current World Series of Fighting Lightweight title contender Luis Palomino.
“We finally went down and a friend of his was training at MMA Masters and he told us about the gym," Lamas said. "We went to get a workout in. We showed up late. Everybody was already practicing and warming up. They were about to start sparring. They told me to get ready. I had no warm up, no nothing. They throw me in the cage, who is now my main sparring partner, Luis Palomino. So I get in the cage with 'Baboon'.
"I am fixing my gloves. I‘m fixing my mouthpiece. I’m looking down. I’m looking left and right. Then I look across the cage and he is pacing back and forth like a wild animal, showing his teeth. I start looking behind me, thinking he is mad at someone behind me. It looked like I just said something bad about his mother and he was going to rip my head off. The bell rings to start and he rushes over and hits me with a five punch combo and ends it with a headkick and I’m just like “F**k this!” I went right in for the takedown. We were going at it back and forth like it was a war.”
“To this day, I always mimic his little bounce and walk back and forth," he added. "We went at it and ended up becoming great friends and we have been sparring with each other ever since.”
In our latest installment of Gym Stories we catch up with UFC featherweight contender Ricardo Lamas, who steps into the cage this weekend at UFC 199 to face Hawaiian Max Holloway in what could be considered a title eliminator in the 145-pound division.
“The Bully” is certainly no stranger to competing at the highest level of the sport. After a title tilt with Jose Aldo and with Octagon victories over Cub Swanson, Dennis Bermudez and most recently Diego Sanchez, it’s safe to say he’s comfortable exchanging blows with some of the baddest men on the planet.
Hailing from and fighting out of Chicago, Illinois, Lamas was looking for a warmer alternative when he made the decision to take his talents to Miami and check out the MMA Masters gym a few years ago. What he clearly wasn’t ready for was the moment he first stepped into the cage to spar with current World Series of Fighting Lightweight title contender Luis Palomino.
“We finally went down and a friend of his was training at MMA Masters and he told us about the gym," Lamas said. "We went to get a workout in. We showed up late. Everybody was already practicing and warming up. They were about to start sparring. They told me to get ready. I had no warm up, no nothing. They throw me in the cage, who is now my main sparring partner, Luis Palomino. So I get in the cage with 'Baboon'.
"I am fixing my gloves. I‘m fixing my mouthpiece. I’m looking down. I’m looking left and right. Then I look across the cage and he is pacing back and forth like a wild animal, showing his teeth. I start looking behind me, thinking he is mad at someone behind me. It looked like I just said something bad about his mother and he was going to rip my head off. The bell rings to start and he rushes over and hits me with a five punch combo and ends it with a headkick and I’m just like “F**k this!” I went right in for the takedown. We were going at it back and forth like it was a war.”
“To this day, I always mimic his little bounce and walk back and forth," he added. "We went at it and ended up becoming great friends and we have been sparring with each other ever since.”