In the featherweight division Jose Aldo is a man, and the rest of the pack are boys.
The only man ever to hold the UFC's 145-pound championship -- and the linear featherweight champ dating back to winning the WEC belt in 2009 -- made it look easy on Saturday night against Ricardo Lamas at UFC 169.
Aldo scored a unanimous decision at Newark's Prudential Center, getting scores of 49-46 across the board.
More Coverage: UFC 169 Results | UFC news
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In the opening round, Aldo stayed patient and sized up Lamas. Lamas threw several kicks, most of which Aldo checked. By the end of the round, Aldo made it clear he could turn things up whenever he felt like it, keeping Lamas honest with combos.
In the second and third round, Aldo turned up the heat. He used the brutal left hand/right low kick combos which have been his calling card for so long, easily taking control of the fight.
In the fourth, Lamas finally made a real takedown attempt, but Aldo effortlessly defended it. When the fight did hit the mat, Aldo got Lamas' back, got hooks in, and went for a rear naked choke, but he couldn't quite get it all the way in.
"I was surprised, he took a lot of kicks to the legs but he kept going," Aldo said. "His will impressed me. It was a tough five rounds."
Lamas, who entered the fight on a four-fight win streak with three finishes, was a gamer all the way until the end. He even managed to get top position and deliver damage over the final half of the final round, but it was too little, too late.
Aldo improved to 24-1 with the victory. He's won 16 straight fights, is 6-0 in the UFC, and has made nine successful title defenses dating back to his WEC days.