Ricardo Lamas believes Conor McGregor's team asks UFC to protect him from wrestlers

Ricardo Lamas at UFC 180

Onetime UFC featherweight title challenger Ricardo Lamas isn’t clamoring for a title shot just yet, but if the UFC is asking him who he wants to fight next, it’s Conor McGregor.

He’ll even keep himself at the ready if McGregor’s next scheduled opponent, Dennis Siver, drops off with an injury.

“I’m going to get right back in the gym and keep up with my conditioning, just in case,” Lamas, who at UFC 180 delivered a big upset in a first-round stoppage of Dennis Bermudez, told MMAjunkie Radio.

Waiting for McGregor could mean Lamas’ next fight comes in spring, but the Chicago-area native thinks he can still get in three fights, the number he feels is the right amount for keeping him active.

Lamas said he isn’t desperate to fight for a title these days, believing it best to simply enjoy his work rather than put energy into promoting a shot at the belt. But in the meantime, he would like to teach McGregor a lesson in humility.

“He’s had a lot of smart things to say on Twitter, and that didn’t go unnoticed by me, so it’s time for the UFC to give him a wrestler and stop protecting him from wrestlers,” he said. “Maybe give his people to stop asking the UFC to not match him up with wrestlers.”

Lamas said he can’t deny the Irishman’s popularity and, unlike others, takes no issue with the healthy compensation he’s earned for his efforts.

“McGregor does a good job of marketing himself, and he does bring in the numbers for pay-per-view buys,” he said. “The guy has an entire country behind him, so that makes a huge difference. The UFC is a business, and if you make them money, they’re going to make you money.

Where Lamas is on the same page with his colleagues is the fighter’s presence in the media. McGregor has taken shots at every notable featherweight in the division, including him.

After Lamas’ win over Bermudez, McGregor tweeted a picture of the defeated fighter, commending him for wearing one of his branded hats.

McGregor added: “I would’ve sponsored Lamas too, only he fought like a p—y against Jose (Aldo). McGregor Incorporate does not reward p—ies who run for 5 rounds.”

Lamas shot back: “So disappointed I can’t be sponsored by your clothing line…… It’s the most absorbent toilet paper I’ve ever used.”

Not surprisingly, Lamas isn’t impressed with McGregor’s insults and said it’s a rehash of what previous trash talking standouts have said.

“McGregor Incorporated, that sounds a lot like what Chael Sonnen used to do when he was talking about the ‘United Fans of Chael,’ and ‘Chael Enterprises’ in cooperation with the UFC is bringing you this fight,” Lamas said. “The guy isn’t original. I think he sits and watches other fighters and takes notes on what they say and then just regurgitates it.”

Lamas (15-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC) then did his best McGregor impersonation, chiming, “Muhammed Ali said this, I’m going to say that. It’s going to be good.”

For now, though, the sparring between the featherweights is academic. McGregor (16-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is booked to fight Siver at UFC Fight Night 59 on Jan. 18 in Boston. After that, there’s talk that he could get a title shot, even though he is ranked lower than Cub Swanson (21-5 MMA, 6-1 UFC) and Frankie Edgar (17-4-1 MMA, 11-4-1 UFC), who meet Saturday at UFC Fight Night 57.

Swanson has said he’s been promised a title shot with a win. At a press gathering this week in Las Vegas, McGregor said he wanted Swanson to win so he could “smack him in the face with a pie” when the UFC instead awards him the opportunity.

McGregor fielded more questions than UFC middleweight champ Chris Weidman at the event. His skill on the mic is one of the big reasons he’s become successful in such a short amount of time, along with the support he receives in his native Ireland and his four-fight winning streak in the octagon.

Lamas can’t hate on that, but he does hope to get the last word in his rivalry.

“McGregor does a good job of marketing himself, and he does bring in the numbers for pay-per-view buys,” Lamas said. “The guy has an entire country behind him, so that makes a huge difference. The UFC is a business, and if you make them money, they’re going to make you money. In no way did I attack McGregor because of how much money he’s making. I just don’t like his personality. I don’t like the way he portrays himself. I don’t like the way he talks crap about every single featherweight in the division. He’s disrespectful and he needs to be taught a lesson.”

For more on UFC 180, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.