BEHIND THE SCENES MMA ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS
12/18/2012
Hector Lombard’s Sophomore Outing Is A Success
By Christopher ‘sLapDatSuCKa’ Jester
His debut may not have impressed the UFC or his fans but his second outing in the UFC, the Cuban-born Australian Hector Lombard dispatched the dangerous Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert Rousimar Palhares remarkably in a match that showed why the UFC sought him out in the first place. At UFC on FX 6, it was obvious from the beginning that Lombard was looking to land power shots and stop any sort of takedown or submission grab from Palhares who could end the fight within seconds with his famous heel hook.
It took Lombard only three minutes and thirty-eight seconds to take out the Brazilian with the deadly shots that have made him so popular. It appeared that once Palhares couldn’t get his hands on one of Lombard’s heels, that the time to keep his consciousness would be limited. Putting him against the fence, Lombard placed a well-timed left hand against Palhares’ dome and this initiated the end for the Brazilian. Moments later, he was out cold and Lombard displayed why he was welcomed to the UFC.
Immediately after winning the bout, Hector Lombard kept his sights on moving further up the rankings by calling out perennial UFC middleweight contender Michael Bisping. While, Bisping is caught up in a fight against Vitor Belfort, it became instantly a fight that mixed martial arts fans wanted to see. Bisping, however, hopes that a potential victory over Belfort will put him in line to fight for a title against UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Although, it is likely that Silva may sit out most of 2013, there is no true verification for that. Silva is known to say this, but always comes out of vacation for a worthy fight.
With Lombard’s win it continues to show that the middleweight division is becoming more crowded within the top 10. Lombard may have lost his debut to Tim Boetsch back at UFC 149, but with this win he proves that his place is at the top. The Boetsch fight may have been a lackluster, and not what people expected. Most figured it would have been an easy match for Lombard but Boetsch has proven that since dropping to middleweight that he will not be an easy matchup for anyone. Boetsch has established himself as a legitimate middleweight contender, and falling to such a guy shouldn’t be a major setback. Now though, Lombard has the chance to move himself back into contention of sorts; especially if his next fight will be against the likes of Bisping, Chris Weidman, Alan Belcher, or Mark Munoz.
Speaking of Mark Munoz, Lombard also called out the top middleweight. Mark Munoz has not fought since his devastating knockout loss to the up-and-comer Chris Weidman. While, this may have been a major setback to Munoz who was one fight away from getting a title shot, he could potentially right the ship in a fight against Lombard. However, the heavy-handed Lombard would likely prove to be a threat to Munoz who takes more punches than he should in his fights. Demian Maia was allowed to land crisp and clean shots against Munoz in their matchup back at UFC 131. Playing a striking game against Lombard could potentially make for a short night for Munoz.
A fight against any top five middleweight would likely put Lombard’s name right back on top; despite his first UFC loss. His name has drawing power as the former Bellator middleweight champion. The UFC has shown a recent liking to potential big pay-per-view draws rather than winning streaks and legitimate contenders. So, Lombard’s wait in line back to top contention should not last too long.
Follow Christopher “sLapDatSuCKa” Jester on Twitter @sLapDatSuCka
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