Hector
Lombard was one of the most feared men in the sport at his
peak.
A fast-twitch judoka with devastating knockout power and the mean
streak to match, Lombard started his career with an eye-popping
31-2-1 record and laid claim to titles in the
Bellator
MMA, Cage Fighting Championship, Australian Fighting
Championship and Xtreme Fighting Championship organizations. He
also touched down in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship and
Pride Fighting Championships, but a late-career swoon made him
as something of a forgotten man. Lombard has not competed in mixed
martial arts since he dropped a unanimous decision to
Thales
Leites at UFC Fight Night 137 on Sept 22, 2018—a setback that
left him on a six-fight losing streak. He turned 44 in
February.
With Lombard eying a return to action against
Thiago
Silva under the
Eagle Fighting Championship banner on May 20, a look at some of
the rivalries that have helped shape his career:
Lombard retained his Bellator MMA middleweight crown with a
unanimous decision over the Russian spin-cycle master in the
Bellator 34 headliner on Oct. 28, 2010 at the Seminole Hard Rock
Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. All three cageside judges
scored it 49-46. Lombard stormed out of the gate and opened up on
his dangerous counterpart with power punching combinations.
However, the seasoned and determined Shlemenko refused to go down
quietly. Lombard countered fatigue with takedowns and even made a
pass at a rear-naked choke in the fourth round. Shlemenko appeared
to be the fresher of the two men in the latter stages of the match
and managed to score with some of his patented spinning back kicks.
Ever resourceful, Lombard closed the distance, dragged the
challenger into the clinch and bled valuable time off the
clock.
“The Barbarian” eked out a split decision and spoiled Lombard’s
long-awaited organizational debut in the UFC 149 co-main event on
July 21, 2012 at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta. The
judiciary rendered 29-28 scores across the board: Richard Bertrand
for Lombard, Sal D’Amato and
Chris Lee for
Boetsch. Lombard struck for takedowns in the first and third rounds
and delivered the most significant strike of the bout—a
second-round body kick that put his adversary in a state of
retreat. However, his first Octagon assignment was marked by long
periods of activity, and his tentative approach cost him. It left
the door open for the cagy Boetsch, who put points on the board
with front kicks and power punches in a surprisingly uneventful
battle at 185 pounds. The defeat was Lombard’s first in nearly six
years and snapped a remarkable streak of 20 consecutive victories
for the
American Top Team-trained judoka.
The Japanese brute put two rounds in the bank and then held on
against Lombard, as he walked away with a split decision in their
UFC on Fuel TV 8 middleweight showcase on March 3, 2013 at the
Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. All three cageside judges
scored it 29-28: Barry Foley and Junichiro Kamijo for Okami,
Charlie Keech for Lombard. Okami neutralized the onetime Olympian’s
explosive punching power with takedowns, a jackhammer jab and the
occasional left cross. He did his best work in the second round,
where he tagged Lombard with jabs, executed a takedown and
eventually mounted the American Top Team standout. Perhaps sensing
his situation had grown dire, Lombard threw caution to the wind in
Round 3. There, he wobbled Okami left hook and swarmed for an
attempted finish. However, the crafty Wajutsu Keishukai Tokyo
representative lured Lombard into his guard, regained his wits and
managed to steer clear of additional danger.
Burst of power punches combined with a dizzying array of throws and
trips carried Lombard to a unanimous decision over the former
Shooto,
Strikeforce
and
EliteXC
champion in a UFC 171 welterweight feature on March 15, 2014 at the
American Airlines Center in Dallas. Scores were 30-27, 30-27 and
29-28. Shields had no answer for the Cuban judoka’s speed,
technique and athleticism. Lombard tore into the longtime
Cesar
Gracie protégé with uppercuts and hooks in the first round,
where he opened a cut near his left eye. While Shields weathered
the onslaught, he mounted little in the way of meaningful offense.
Lombard kept the Californian off-balance with trips and throws over
the final 10 minutes and withstood a last-second guillotine choke
from the accomplished Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt in the third
round.
“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 16 semifinalist survived a furious
assault and put away Lombard with punches in the third round of
their UFC Fight Night 85 co-headliner on March 19, 2016 at the
Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia. The end came
46 seconds into Round 3. Magny had to earn it. Lombard stunned the
Elevation Fight Team rep with an uppercut in the first round
and followed up with a hellacious amount of punishment from
punches, elbows and forearm strikes. Magny endured, and by the time
the first five minutes had concluded, his opponent was running on
fumes. Lombard floored the Colorado-based welterweight with a
straight left in the second round but surrendered his position on a
failed foot lock attempt. Magny moved to mount, caught a triangle
choke and then advanced to mount a second time. Lombard rolled to
his stomach out of desperation, only to be flattened out. Magny cut
loose with more than 40 unanswered punches, but referee Steve
Perceval elected not to stop it. Lombard had nothing left for Round
3. There, Magny executed a takedown inside the first minute,
climbed to mount without resistance and closed out the American Top
Team mainstay with punches.