Chad Mendes took his first step toward earning a third UFC title shot when he stopped Ricardo Lamas in the first round of a featherweight contender bout at UFC Fight Night 63.

The main event of the organization’s third trip to Fairfax, Va., saw Mendes (17-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) overwhelm Lamas (15-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) with power strikes for the stoppage less than three minute into the opening round.

Mendes has failed to capture the 145-pound title from champ Jose Aldo on two separate occasions. However, the win over Lamas put him on the short-list to face the winner of UFC 189’s championship fight between Aldo and Conor McGregor.

Check below for Twitter reactions to Mendes’ UFC Fight Night 63 victory over Lamas.

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For more on UFC Fight Night 63, check out the UFC Events section of the site.