Hector Lombard entered as a heavy favorite and took care of business with a unanimous-decision victory over Josh Burkman Saturday night.
The final scores read 30-27, 30-27, 29-28. Lombard spent much of the night tagging Burkman around the cage as the crafty American tried to sneak in a counter to end the fight. The fight unfolded at a slower pace than expected, and that helped Lombard remain fresh.
Lombard, the No. 6-ranked welterweight contender, picked up a big win that moves him a step closer toward a title shot.
The opening pay-per-view bout for UFC 182 went the way of the Cuban, and this is what we learned from the fight.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
We will most remember Burkman’s chin. Wow. He can take a shot.
Maybe it was the beard. Regardless, he stood in there with one of the most terrifying fighters in the organization. Lombard tagged Burkman several times throughout the fight, but he was never out of it. He didn’t get knocked down.
That’s a rarity when Lombard connects.
That is probably not what Burkman wanted us to remember about this fight, but nothing else was truly captivating.
What We Learned About Josh Burkman
Let’s not beat a dead horse about how tough Burkman is. We covered that earlier.
Did we learn anything else about him? Not really. He didn’t have much offense. If we took anything away, perhaps it’s that he has entered the stage of being a crafty veteran. He threw some techniques we’ve rarely seen, and they could catch a less experienced fighter in the future.
What We Learned About Hector Lombard
Much like Burkman, we didn’t learn much about the Cuban.
It was a slow, methodical fight that didn’t force either man to step up his game and show something new. Lombard stalked his opponent while looking for the knockout and used his superior grappling to take him to the canvas a couple of times. Those are things we already know he likes to do in fights.
We can’t even applaud his cardio. He wasn’t pushed.
Unfortunately, we learned next to nothing about a potential title contender.
What’s Next for Burkman
Burkman’s name value will put him against another mid-level fighter. That is key for him. He won’t fall too far from the position he entered with in the UFC.
I would like to see him face Ben Saunders.
Saunders defeated Joe Riggs via injury in December. It is a good fight that would put the winner into a top-15-level welterweight fight. The loser will then fight someone of a lower level. The stylistic matchup between Burkman and Saunders also should be crowd-pleasing.
The UFC could go a lot of ways with Burkman, but I am intrigued by a potential fight with Saunders.
What’s Next for Lombard
If you look at the current rankings, there is only one logical choice—Rory MacDonald.
I touched on this particular matchup earlier in the week. With Robbie Lawler and Johny Hendricks meeting for the third time, MacDonald will have to fight in another title eliminator, and only Lombard fits the mold as a credible opponent.
That is a big deal for Lombard. He could be one fight away from a title bid, but it won’t be easy. MacDonald is possibly his worst matchup. The Canadian’s style is perfect to stifle Lombard and coast to a victory. Lombard will have to showcase something new to get past MacDonald.
This is the fight to make at 170 pounds.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com