After news broke that the UFC and Anthony Johnson had parted ways, Hector Lombard, Bellator FC’s reigning middleweight champion, posted an interesting status update—“(b)ring Anthony to me please!”—on his personal Facebook page.
Although Lombard is doubtless interested in a potential match with Johnson—as evidenced by his Facebook status—he is quick to insist that he has nothing against the man they call “Rumble.”
In reality, Lombard simply views a match—a victory, more specifically—against Johnson as a means to further establish himself as one of the sport’s elite middleweight contenders.
“I’m always ready to fight anybody—anybody that the people want to see me fight, fighters that the people say are good fighters,” Lombard, 33, explained to Bleacher Report.
“As long as they have a big name and are recognized by the media and fans as being high-calibre, I’m ready to fight anyone…He was considered one of the top prospects for the 185-division. He’s right up there, so why not?”
According to a recent www.CageJunkies.com interview with Bellator FC CEO Bjorn Rebney, a match between Lombard and Johnson may be a reality in the future.
“I believe Hector is the most explosive, dominant middleweight in MMA today,” Rebney said.“There are a number of great fights out there right now for Hector and under the right circumstances, at the right time, Anthony could be one of them.”
Naturally, many have wondered why Lombard, who hasn’t been defeated in six years, isn’t making his living in the UFC’s Octagon.
Although Lombard hasn’t written off a run for Anderson Silva’s middleweight championship in the future, the former Olympian is admittedly happy with his role in Bellator.
Moreover, Lombard—undoubtedly to the pleasure of Bellator executives—seems to prefer talking about his current role in the organization more than the possibility of someday competing in the UFC.
At the end of the day, according to Lombard, however, it doesn’t matter which organization he is under contract with—for he believes he is already the top 185-pound competitor in the world of mixed martial arts.
“My game is complete,” Lombard explained. “I have really good stand-up, I’m really good on the floor and I’m a really good wrestler…I feel that I’m the best.”
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