Hector Lombard’s short and disappointing stint in the UFC may well be coming to an end.
Losing to Japanese veteran Yushin Okami over the weekend, he received his second loss in three bouts.
The Cuban-born Australian was once deemed the great white indie hope, but after two losses to top ten competitors, leaving him teetering on the edge of the official UFC middleweight rankings, he may well become the next high profile fighter cut, as the UFC seeks to bring its roster budget under control.
Last year, when Hector Lombard was first signed by the UFC, the buzz around him was palpable. He was the man on a twenty-seven fight win streak, who had knocked out all comers and just maybe he was the one to finally best Anderson Silva at his own striking game.
In Australia hopes were even higher that he might be on the fast road to becoming our first ever UFC champion.
However, after racking up a 1-2 record on the sport’s biggest stage, it is clear those hopes were misplaced and if Lombard fails to perform, and perform fast, he will quickly find himself cut from the oversized UFC roster.
He may have already fought for the UFC for last time.
Don’t get me wrong, Lombard is better than the majority of guys at middleweight, but with the sacking of former welterweight top contender Jon Fitch, UFC President Dana White has made it clear he isn’t going to keep overpaid mid-tier guys around for too long.
And there is no doubt now that Lombard is overpaid.
While figures aren’t public, it is clear the UFC had to pay big money to beat a cashed up Bellator to get Lombard’s signature. Bellator President Bjorn Rebney has suggested it was as high as a $400,000 signing bonus and $300,000 per fight.
The UFC signed him in the hope of building a super-fight with Anderson Silva, but those dreams are now long gone and Lombard will most likely be stuck fighting early on the main card or even relegated to the prelims.
Theoretically he could stay and beat up guys like Rousimar Palhares for years, he practically made career out of doing it in indie circles, but on that kind of money you have to be a title holder or perennial challenger, anything else and you just aren’t worth it.
Even if he is getting paid just half of the reported sum, it is far more than the supposedly ‘super expensive’ Jon Fitch, who was cut last week.
Fitch has a very strong history, boasting just three losses over seven years, but after netting only one win and a draw from his last four fights, the UFC deemed him on the skid and let him go to help combat the vast over stocking of their roster.
In an ominous sign for Lombard, White says there is plenty of blood yet to be spilled, suggesting the UFC has one hundred excess fighters, all who will receive an unwelcome call in the coming months.
If Lombard gets another shot in the Octagon, there is absolutely no way he can continue to let his opponents set a slow, plodding pace as he allowed Okami to do last weekend and as Tim Boetsch did in his debut fight.
Lombard is at his best when he is being aggressive and searching for the knockout, he is a fighter fans should love to watch but in his two biggest fights, he seemed to catch stage fright.
If Lombard wants to keep his job, he has to fight his natural game.
An even more extreme measure may be a drop down a weight division to welterweight. While stocky, he is one of the shortest middleweights on the roster and he doesn’t seem to have trouble meeting the 185 pound mark.
Even though it is a move he has previously rejected, desperate times call for desperate measures, and if he could shed just a little extra bulk, his power would be a truly scary proposition at 170 lbs.
Regardless of which one he chooses, it is clear if Hector Lombard wants to remain in the UFC, he must start to live up to the lofty expectations he set himself when he first signed for them.
It would be sad to see such an exciting fighter leave, but at this point it is clear he has not come close to earning his spot on the UFC roster.
Lions Den
Guest
Around 8 years ago I walked into a gym called the lion's den.. i wanted a professional fight.. i saw hector lombard who was training.. he is roughly my size.. i retired on the spot !! he is an awsome fighter .. if he hasnt won trust me he will come good he is shy and a really lovely well natured bloke. i became friends with him before he signed UFC had a few good chats with him. You wouldn't meet a nicer bloke. He trains very hard he is totally focused and i know he can come good. i think it is just hard for him to adjust to his new found fame and sucess.. like i said he is humble and quite placid and shy .. he is not a wild crazy loud person at all. so i think he just hasnt settled into the fast pace the big lights the loud fans .. but give him another go and he will show you what knockout power is all about.. if he finds his mojo .. trust me .. mike tyson has nothing on this bloke !!
MMADoggzofwar
Roar Rookie
Thats awesome JohnUFC and your opinion on HL's performance is great but the fact is he still lost, he came in with thunder and left with a drizzle and the dissapointment across the MMA world was loud..yes against Okami he didnt get hurt and I dont think there are to many fighters who could hurt him but he didnt do anything in judges mind to win the fight bar that last round where desperation set in and he looked like the HL with drive, but to wait till the final round you might want to ask his corner what they were advising him and its not like he just popped up on the MMA radar either...he has been in the gme for a while so I cant fathom an excuse other than he is mentally not in the octagon and needs to get it sorted...
Johnufc
Guest
Hector Lombard is one hell of a fighter to watch, sorry but if you guys watched closely the match between tim boesth and Lmbard, Lb cracked the hell out of him. His punching power no one can come close or neer him, event okapi, HL rocked them all. Bullshit judge scoring that made HL lost to his first UFC debut, clearly he was strong from all aspect, he out wrestling tim boesth,taken tim boesth down strongly, his boxing was amazing, to me he won 3 rounds. For okami, it is obvious HL was an underdog, okami wrestling was too experience, but again he could'nt do anything to HL,. At the end in UFC no one had ever knock him out yet
MMADoggzofwar
Roar Rookie
The "Silva" you are talking about is Anderson Silva right? 15-0 in the UFC alone Silva? Its alright to defend HL on his "awesome" 3 fight performance thus far but to pot shot the champ, heck you must be new to the game huh? The hype HL came with (and alot was his mouthing off too) and the current return doesnt add up, I for one was looking forward to him having watched him here in Australia and online in bellator. I wanted him to succeed and by all intentions he looked like this was going to be the shot at the big time fighters like HL get. BUT what we have seen from him has been nothing short of dissapointing. I understand he may be going thru personal issues and given he is human, but at the end of the day he is still or has to be still very professional and expectations are high. Bad timing but it is what it is, and he needs to get it going or he is plain going Stop the trash talk? come on! where would this be without healthy discussion? the so called contenders you allude to have records that you may not feel justified, have proven in this arena and HL hasnt done jack. Its the fact we know waht he is capable of, he just hasnt delivered and he will get cut if he continues
jenry rodriguez
Guest
There's a lot of ufc fighters that should be cut and hector is not one of them! give hector a chance he will come around his loses are so lame! when a person wins everybody jumps on the waggen and wants to becomes a friend but when they loose people talk crap! things happen he will come around I know I talk to him att at coconut creek where my son is training he seems lost like something personal is happening he has it in him but one thing for sure cutting him from ufc is not the brightest thing unless you looking to keep Silva on top with his running around the ring cause he cant take a hit then you wouldn't be no different then boxing keep it rea!l and stop the trash talking, he can take out a lot of your so called contenders!
Max Kenney-Herbert
Roar Guru
great match up! but stann will have to lose big time to get cut, hes too much of a draw for them with the whole american hero thing, unless they sign mike richman from bellator they need to hold on to guys like stann for the patriot effect
Max Kenney-Herbert
Roar Guru
but still a great fight i reckon
Max Kenney-Herbert
Roar Guru
Sao paleli now as well mate
Max Kenney-Herbert
Roar Guru
that would be a great fight, but if manhoef connects its good night for lombard, Melvin has elephant gun knuckles!
Max Kenney-Herbert
Roar Guru
He wont be cut yet, he has too decision losses and one highlight TKO so theyll hang on to him, not like hes a fitchesque guy who just grinds people, he has lost to a top 10 and top 5 MW so not too bad, They have invested too much to cut him loose just yet, they need a return.
Sam Brown
Roar Guru
That is what the Bellator President, Bjorn Rebney said so it might not be 100% accurate, however even if it is just a quarter of that he is still overpaid considering his results.
Damien
Roar Guru
Stann would get done IMO. Also Stann is an Army Vet and I can't see the UFC cutting him. Stann is good enough for the UFC and being a local army vet is a big bonus. I vote for Lombard v Manhoef. That would be an absolute slugfest which will bring the roof down !!. I hear the UFC is in talks with Manhoef at the moment. They both have almost the exact same physique and style and the only difference is that Manhoef has some nasty leg kicks. You should check out his fight with Lawler before he got tagged and Lawler got the improbable TKO. Before that Manhoef was manhandling him. I reckon Manhoef would win against Lombard via TKO. Manhoef is the only man to knock out Mark Hunt. That was an unbelievable KO. Make it happen Dana !!
Damien
Roar Guru
Whoa !! Lombard is on $300K per fight ? If those numbers are correct than the UFC has got to cut him. Lombard is entertaining to watch but from a business POV $300K is pretty steep for a mid tier Chris Lytle type fighter. At least with Lytle he could do pretty slick submissions.
MMADoggzofwar
Roar Rookie
+1 iwith you Sam, if local fighters were kept purely for "home" events then the last event was an epic fail with a truck load of local fighters just not lighting anything up except there bank balance.. The hype around HL was huge and I for one bought into it, he showed that he was capable of so much literally walking thru guys but as soon as he hit the UFC it ws as if he allowed them to dictate the pace and where the fight went.. if anything he started to fight "short" not pressing forward and throwing haymakers and wild shots as if he had no strategy or gameplan... I am hoping I am wrong about Soa but with the HWs currently in there he needs to hit the ground running or else he'll be one and done as well, albeit it was nearly 5-6 years ago but he did not show anything in those fights that indicated he would be a force so I am hoping he can pull it off and really use the oppurtunity he has been given, not ride on the bandwagon that the Mark Hunt experience has created just because he's another big islander...
Jerry
Guest
Besides, there's James Te-Huna, Mark Hunt (Kiwis but fighting out of Oz) and whoever they signed from The Smashes to keep the local interest in Aus.
Sam Brown
Roar Guru
That is actually a dam good matchup for Lombard, at least he would be against someone not afraid to exchange a few punches. I am personally skeptical about the value of 'home fighters' though, you can't keep a loser around just so he can fight in front of local crowds.
Ronnie Liddle
Roar Rookie
The challenge Dana also has is that Hector is a big draw downunder. with Gsop fading he needs another 'aussie' fighter to push the market downunder... why i think he signed Soa this last week. Hector vs Stann... loser gets a pink slipped.