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'Buddy-buddy' out the window for Ricardo Lamas in UFC Fight Night 97 headliner vs. B.J. Penn

For Ricardo Lamas, there’s a time to fanboy out over some of his MMA peers, including B.J. Penn. But that time went right out the window the second Lamas put Penn – and pen – to paper.

When Lamas (16-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) signed on to fight Penn (16-10-2 MMA, 12-9-2 UFC), a UFC Hall of Famer, in the main event of next month’s UFC Fight Night 97 card in the Philippines, he made sure any admiration for the former two-division champ got put in the rearview mirror for a while. And far as being friendly with him before the fight, that’s a dangerous road Lamas doesn’t want to go down.

“There was a cocktail hour we both attended (in the Philippines), but we were kind of on opposite sides of the room,” Lamas on Wednesday told MMAjunkie Radio. “I try not to get buddy-buddy with a guy I’m going to punch in the face (on fight night). It’s just one of those things: As soon as I signed that contract, I put B.J. out of my head as ‘Oh, this guy was a legend of the sport, I’m a fan of his.’ Now he’s a barrier. He’s something I have to overcome now.”

UFC Fight Night 97 takes place Oct. 15 at SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, Manila, Philippines. The entire card streams on UFC Fight Pass.

Lamas said his views on his opponent fall into the fan category, and for good reason. Penn was in the UFC for 10 years before Lamas came along after a six-fight WEC run before the two promotions merged. And Penn was a champion at both lightweight and welterweight, helping catapult him to Hall of Famer status.

“Who hasn’t been a fan of B.J. Penn? He’s a legend in the sport. He’s just so talented,” Lamas said. “I watched his entire season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ when he was coaching against Jens Pulver. That was really entertaining, and then the finale fight, where they fought each other. I’ve watched tons of his fights – against Matt Hughes, against (Georges) St-Pierre. So I’ve been watching B.J. growing up with this sport.”

Both Lamas and Penn will be looking to get back in the win column. Lamas rode a four-fight winning streak to a featherweight title shot at then-champion Jose Aldo at UFC 169 in February 2014, but lost a unanimous decision. Since then, he’s won three of five, but most recently, at UFC 199, he was outworked by Max Holloway and dropped a decision. Despite needing a couple hospital visits for an issue with a split-open shin after the fight, he’ll be back to work against Penn fairly quickly.

Penn will be looking for his first win in nearly six years. He took a long layoff after a loss to Rory MacDonald in June 2012. But he returned as a featherweight to coach “The Ultimate Fighter” against Frankie Edgar, then fought him at the TUF 19 Finale in a trilogy fight. But like their first two meetings, which were lightweight title fights, Penn fell short and was badly beaten up by Edgar in a TKO loss. He retired afterward, but now returns a little more than two years later.

Lamas is a heavy favorite at better than 5-1 odds. But he said anyone who thinks he’s looking past “The Prodigy” or thinking a win over him is a slam-dunk is mistaken.

“I’m preparing for the best B.J. Penn,” Lamas said. “I don’t underestimate anybody. I don’t give a (expletive) how many people think that he’s done, or people think I’m going to blow past him or whatever. Listen: I’ve been busting my ass this entire camp. I’m the last one in the gym right now – there’s nobody here right now. I was the first one to start working out, and I’m the last one out.

“I’m putting in my work preparing for the best possible guy to be on the opposite side of the cage from me.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 97, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show, available on SiriusXM Ch. 93, is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

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