Hector Lombard Makes His Case For A Title Shot Over ‘Boring’ Rory MacDonald
Hector Lombard was victorious in his pivotal welterweight bout against Jake Shields at UFC 171; although the result of the match may be slightly different from the knockout most of us were expecting. If anything, the three round decision win for ‘Lightning’ proves that Shields has a hell of a chin.
Lombard had to deal with the fact that Shields has a smothering ground game, and says that this factored in to his game plan for the bout. Check out what ‘Lightning’ said while talking to MMAJunkie:
“He always waits for the guys to get greedy, and when guys start throwing punches at him, he goes for the double-leg,” Lombard said. “And trust me, I know Jake is very, very heavy on top. People were telling me, ‘Please don’t let this guy get on top of you, because if he gets on top of you, he’s extremely heavy.’”
Lombard has come under fire in the media for his performance at 171, and some would say unfairly so. He fought a guy that is very hard to beat, and is a highly decorated mixed martial artist and grappler. He continues:
“That’s the story of my life,” Lombard said. “I don’t know what the reason is, but since I started my career, they always criticize me. I dominate a guy, and I believe it was a beautiful performance. Fighting a guy like Jake Shields is very awkward and dangerous, as well. It means a lot to me, and it means a lot to dominate a guy like Jake Shields.”
Shields is a difficult bout for most opponents, and actually beat the current number four, and Lombard’s training partner at American Top Team-Tyron Woodley. The Cuban-American knockout specialist then turned his attention to the state of the division, as well as staking his claim for the title shot and discussing another top contender and ATT team-mate Robbie Lawler:
“I love Robbie,(Lawler)” Lombard said. “He’s a great guy; I have a lot of respect for him. But he doesn’t have [the title], so I’ve got to go for it. I’ve been representing American Top Team for six years; I’m one of the oldest in there, and fighting at the highest level. So I don’t have to let anybody scream, ‘I need the title,’ and I’ve got to sit back and be quiet. That doesn’t have to happen.”
“Tyron is my teammate, but look at the guys that I beat. I beat two guys that beat him. Rory MacDonald, he lost against Lawler, and before that fight, it was an extremely boring fight. But because he is Rory, no one says anything about it. If that would have been me, I would have been fired from the UFC. But because it’s him, it’s a different story. And then he goes and he loses the fight against (Robbie Lawler), and then he beats Demian Maia, who just came from a guy that I beat. My name is never in the picture.”
Lombard’s position as #6 in the welterweight division will open up a number of interesting fights for him, but with Lawler and Woodley being training partners; the scope is looking a little more narrow. I have a feeling that MacDonald will eventually receive the title shot, and what would be the option for Hector then?
With Carlos Condit injured, Ellenberger booked elsewhere, and two team mates in the top five, a title shot or a bout with MacDonald is the option that makes sense for Lombard. Perhaps calling MacD boring will evoke a response from the Canadian ‘Psycho’.
