Hector Lombard and four other most disappointing debuts in the UFC
Posted on July 22, 2012, 07:56 PM by Mike Searson
When it comes to MMA promotions, the UFC is the biggest kid on the block. The best fighters in the world fight in the Octagon and the competitive level is second to none. Very often fighters will have successful runs in second and third tier promotions and go on to success in the UFC. However, there are a few that follow that same pattern only to find themselves totally outclassed in their Octagon debut.
If it is "UFC Jitters", it is usually bypassed by the second fight. However, if it goes beyond that, usually the fighter was sold on hype. The following five fighters have had the most disappointing debuts in the history ogf the UFC.
Kyle Bradley
Kyle Bradley came into the UFC riding a 7-fight win streak. He made his UFC debut at UFC 81 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was to fight Chris Lytle who was coming in off a loss to Thiago Alves. Lytle knocked Bradley out in 33 seconds and Bradley hugged the referee for stopping the fight. Bradley was only a moderate underdog at that point, so for his next UFC bout he decided to cut down to the Lightweight division and was handed his second loss by Joe Lauzon as a 2nd round TKO at UFC Fight Night 15. He did have a single 1 in the win column of his UFC record, a controversial stoppage by Referee Yves Lavigne at UFC 98 over Phillipe Nover. After his sole UFC win, he went on to face Rafael dos Anjos at UFC Fight Night 20. After losing by decision, he was cut from the UFC.
Bradley returned to fighting on a few local promotions in the South and has seen a moderate degree of success return.
Heath Herring
Heath Herring was a long time PRIDE veteran who faced Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira for the title in that organization back in 2001. Despite his loss, he was considered a viable contender, but suffered back to back losses to Fedor and Cro Cop. Herring's greatest notoriety came from a 2005 K-1 event. As Herring and his opponent, Yoshihiro Nakao, faced off in the pre-fight staredown, Nakao gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Herring responded by decking Nakao and ended the fight before it ever started. When the UFC acquired the World Fighting Alliance, The Texas Crazy Horse went with them, making his Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 8 in 2007. Herring was touted as someone who would shake up the Heavyweight division and a huge odds favorite. His debut resulted in a unanimous decision loss to Jake O'Brien.
Herring had two UFC wins after that, including one over Cheick Kongo, but lost again to Big Nog and finally Brock Lesnar back in 2008. After his loss to Lesnar, he quietly retired from fighting.
Brad Morris
Australian Heavyweight Brad Morris came to the UFC off a 10-2 record. He made his debut against Cain Velasquez at UFC 83 in Montreal, Canada. Morris was defeated via first-round TKO. For his next UFC event, he dropped down to the Light Heavyweight division to face Jason Brilz in Omaha, Nebraska at UFC Fight Night 15. Brilz defeated the Aussie by TKO at 2:54 in the second round. Morris was dropped by the UFC and returned to the Australian fight circuit in 2010, where he suffered another set of back to back losses.
Kimbo Slice
You cannot mention disappointing debuts without mentioning Kimbo Slice. Kimbo rose to fame through YouTube and a series of "backyard fights" near his home in Florida. On the one hand, most knowledgeable fight followers had written him off; on the other, he was immensely popular on the internet and it was thought he would bring this large fan base with him. After 3 wins and a KO loss in Elite FC, he tried to get into the UFC. UFC President Dana White made it conditional if he appeared on the promotion's reality show: The Ultimate Fighter. On the first fight of the show, Slice lost to Roy Nelson. He won via unanimous decision on the show's finale and made his official debut at UFC 113 versus Matt Mitrione, losing in the second round via a TKO. He was released from his contract the following day.
Slice has gone on to a somewhat successful pro-boxing career having a record of 5-0 at this time.
Hector Lombard
Lombard made his UFC debut after being the Bellator Middleweight Champion and was on a 20-fight win streak A fourth degree judo black belt and Brazilian jiujitsu black belt with 17 TKO/KO wins, the Cuban fighter seemed to be the only man capable of dethroning UFC's Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. At UFC 149 in Canada, he promised a "beautiful fight" against Tim Boetsch.
The result was anything, but. The fight was hyped as a potential war and it just simply failed to deliver. Lombard threw a lot of single shots with no follow up and what looked like no aggression. Boetsch fought a little too cautious as well and there are those who thought the decision should have gone to Lombard.
Already, fans and UFC's Dana White are calling for him to drop to 170; although a weight drop did nothing to help 2 fighters on this list. A fighter of his caliber can survive a rough bump in his career like this. However, it has to go down as one of the biggest disappointing UFC debuts of all time.
So, here's my list, let's see yours. This is my opinion only and while I am a long time fight fan, I went for a few years not following UFC and took the time to pursue other promotions. Fill us in on some I might have missed.
Comments
ROLLES GRACIE
This list is missing Gomi
and yamamoto
Yamamoto and Gomi were both past their prime when they entered the UFC.
i deff agree gomi was huge.
Another one people dont notice alot was Carlos Condit. Obviously now he is doing great but his debut he had a lack luster fight with kampmann even though he had a hype train behind him being the WEC 170 lb champ
This list is missing Cro Cop. He was supposed to steam roll the competition in the UFC. Then he got viciously head kicked KO'd by Gonzaga????
I believe the list just consisted of debuts DLS. It was ugly, but he still beat Eddie Sanchez in his first UFC match.
Forgot all about the Eddie Sanchez fight :0
That fight with Kampman was awesome man. Two great strikers playing a technical game on the feet, and then scrambling like crazy on the ground. Great transitions, good sub attempts, and a very close fight that could have gone either way (I had Condit winning).
He lost, but I would not call his debut disappointing at all.
With this fight being a bit boring and "the wrong guy" winning, I call this an "upsetting upset". But you've gotta give props to Boetsch for hanging in there for nearly 2 rounds with a broken foot
It was an upset to us fans but all the top MWs have said for ages Hector is overrated and unproven. People said Silva was ducking when he said he would want Rockhold over Lombard, know we know why. As always we think we know more than the fighters do but once again we are proven wrong (me included).
Silva not ducking, just doesn't want another walk through.
Fun article. However, I think there's a couple that don't belong (Morris and Bradley).
Rolles Gracie (as the thealex points out) was hyped a hell of a lot more than either of those guys, and gassed literally after a couple minutes of fighting. Joe Stevenson lost his first fight coming off winning TUF against Josh Neer. CJ Keith was coming in to the UFC at 8-0 recently against Ramsey Nijem. Andre Gusmao was hyped like crazy coming out of the IFL, but he ran into some kid named Jon Jones. Diego Brandao was a huge favorite, and had a lot of people thinking he could do real damage at FW when he lost to Darren Elkins.
Evan, I was trying to keep it to only fights that I had watched, where I expected a little more than what was delivered.
Ah, understandable. Thought Morris was gonna be a killer, eh?
Well, 10-2, hype from a buddy who lived in Oz...just one of those guys that made you go "Wait...what?".
Sort of the same with the Bradley KO...only with him it was more like "How the f&#* did this guy make it to the UFC?"
stephen thompson!!!
Thompson's debut was great!
haha he KOd his guy with a roundhouse!!
LOL! i now understand the title... just weaked myself
Kimbo fought Houston Alexander in his Debut, and destroyed him. Then lost to mitrione he didn't do well but i've seen fighters do worse. he deserved another shot.
I agree, anyone that expected Kimbo to actually do better then he did is pretty damn ignorant of MMA:
Fletcher, his official debut was not until UFC 113.
Brock Lesnar
how about james lights out toney??
Ya know, when I was putting this together, I had him in mind, then forgot to add him.
Seems you're a little confused as to what "most disappointing" actually means. Toney did exactly what I expected him to do in MMA.
You're exactly right Krogan. Toney had been a joke in the boxing community for years before his UFC debut.
Seems humor is lost on you Krogan.
Phew, right over my head also.
yeah, maybe I should have said that I thought about it for 3 minutes and 19 seconds.
i think he only lasted 30 sec in the ufc or somthing like that
Ryan Jimmo
o_O
Denis Kang
Lombard didnt lose he was robbed.Tim Boetsch did nothing to win Lombard was the agresive one all 3 rounds
Doesnt change the fact that Lombards debut was disappointing.
Lombard was more aggresive? Just because you stand in the middle of the cage doesn't mean your the aggresor, there was one point were he didnt throw a strike for at least minute and just stood there (most of the fight went like that).
I'm not saying Tim won but he was the one going for numerous takedowns and slapping leg kicks in to Lombard
UFC jitters for Lombard, happens to most of them. He'll be back.
What a horrible way to lose one the longest win streaks in MMA history. expected much more than throwing the odd haymaker which missed completely
Lombard vs Sonnen,Hector just needs a little motivation,Chael will get under his skin and Hector will decapitate him,make it happen Dana!!!
shogun was horrible against forrest in his debut. even tho jake shields won his debut against kampman it was a poor performance given that he just beat hendo in strikeforce the previous fight
totally agree with this - shogun and shields were missed in this list.
At the time of shogun's debut in the UFC they were looking past forrest and setting him up for a title bout, and we all know how that turned out to be.
This was followed by a less than impressive perfomance against mark coleman, and KO victory over an aging Chuck Lidell.
Most Notable (and I'd say impressive) at that time for Shogun was he was able to solve the puzzle-like fighting style of Machida - and thus ending the Machida era.
One more guy not on the list, though there wasn't much hype was mayhem miller.
i say shogun too. i had no idea he had hurt knee's at the time so i was hugely disappointed. but he did have success later, got the title, and earned the respect he had in pride. i think lombard can bounce back, but i'm not sure he's the monster people thought. but if he knocks the hell out of the next guy he faces, people will open their eyes to him. a guy as powerful as him is always dangerous.
Teila Tuli.... Can't be more disappointing than the first person to lose in the UFC.
Thank you I win..LOL