Hector Lombard calls out top Middleweights, gets Yushin Okami at UFC on Fuel 8

hector lombard vs josh burkman full fight video highlights

Hector Lombard had an unprecedented amount of hype following him when he made his way to the UFC this summer. And that hype all but disappeared when he lost a close, albeit highly uneventful, decision to Tim Boetsch at UFC 149.

He returned at the TUF:The Smashes finale, knocking out BJJ specialist Rousimar Palhares in impressive fashion. The hype train may be back on track, and Lombard is looking for more statement fights. Speaking to Australian site News.com.au, Lombard seeks to fight only the best fighters that the 185 lb division has to offer:

“Let’s cut the bullshit, let’s be honest, they won’t give me Anderson Silva. We have to be realistic and talk about things that might happen. I want to fight the hardest match-up.

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I wish they (the UFC) could go now and make a pool of the toughest guys at 84kg that no one wants to fight and I want to fight that guy. I want to fight who the UFC and the people believe is the toughest guy out there. I would like to fight Chris Weidman, he’s a big name.

I’ve been asking for (Yushin) Okami, but they (UFC) won’t give him to me because of his chin. Okami has no chin, he can’t cop the punches.”

It appears that Lombard’s recent KO has opened the floodgates for him to call out many of the top fighters at Middleweight. Credit goes to him for staking his claim, but no, he won’t get Anderson Silva, at least not anytime soon. He believed that the UFC would steer clear of placing him in a bout with Okami, but today that statement proves false.

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Lombard and Okami will face off at UFC on Fuel TV 8 from Okami’s home country of Japan. Live from the Saitama Super Arena on March 3rd, the bout will be pivotal in deciding the future of the UFC Middleweight division. Okami is coming off of a great win over Alan Belcher at UFC 155. Can “Thunder” deal with the impressive and powerful strikes of “Lightning?”

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