The UFC has recently acquired Bellator superstar Hector Lombard, one of the biggest names not under the ZUFFA banner. Fans have long awaited Lombard’s crossover; he is arguably one of the best middleweights in MMA and holds the most substantial record.
Lombard is riding a 24-fight winning streak and had a draw after the first four victories. Other than Lombard, only one man in MMA can say he hasn’t lost a fight since 2006 and have made a champion of himself: Anderson Silva, who is currently known as the greatest fighter in the world.
Lombard’s first fight has been announced, and it wasn’t what people expected. Lombard will be facing the decorated soldier that is Brian Stann in his Octagon debut. While an immediate title shot wouldn’t have been too controversial, it seems the UFC wants to put him on a different path, or just start him as soon as possible.
Giving another organization’s champion, especially one that hasn’t lost in almost six years, a walk-in title shot in his debut is not a foreign concept, and many assumed that would happen. However, this matchup for the UFC is much smarter and better for all parties concerned.
For the sake of this perspective on why the UFC gave Lombard Stann, let’s assume Silva is still the champion after his rematch with Chael Sonnen.
The UFC has shown over time that there are different ways fighters will get title shots. Sometimes it’s the most statistically deserving; sometimes it’s the best moneymaker. Sometimes it’s a great style fight; other times there isn’t anyone else left/not tied up already.
In this situation for Silva’s next competitor, statistically you have to side with the winner of Mark Munoz vs. Chris Weidman. Munoz was the number one contender (and still is), while Sonnen captured the “people’s” number one contender status. Sonnen will have his shot, but Munoz was slated to be next in line.
Weidman is undefeated and a win over Munoz puts him at 9-0. If Munoz wins, it puts him at five wins in a row. Regardless who comes out on top, both men have earned their shot on paper.
However, with this announcement of Hector Lombard vs. Brian Stann, it throws a wrench in the machine.
Stann is a great fighter who is respected by any person that knows of him. His service to the sport of MMA and his country is held with high admiration. Such a humble, yet devastating fighter is a brilliant poster boy for a growing organization like the UFC.
Stann is not handed anything by any means, but this Lombard fight could be seen as a stepping stone that most fighters in his position wouldn’t have.
Stann is coming off of only one win. That win was impressive and great, but still only one in a division where there is a good number of people on multiple-fight winning streaks. Normally, a fighter in Stann’s position would get at least two more fights with top-five contenders before getting his shot at Silva.
But now, he is in a situation where he could see himself fighting for the title a lot sooner than people expected.
If Stann defeats Lombard, especially by a finish victory, it gives Stann all the credibility the UFC needs to throw him into the next title shot. Even though he will only have two wins, a KO win over Alessio Sakara and a win over the Bellator champ, who hasn’t lost since 2006, carries tremendous weight.
Because fans and the UFC both love Stann, you could put Stann in a title shot right now and not many people would be mad for long about the decision. Yes, there would be clamoring about unfairness to Munoz, Weidman, Rousimar Palhares and others, but Stann is someone hard to hate.
But if he can pull this fight off, he will have what he needs for the UFC to put him in a title fight. There is substantial money to be made in a Silva vs. Stann title fight, or even a Sonnen vs. Stann title fight. Even further than that, if Stann were to get his title shot and win, the UFC would presumably be extremely happy with Stann with the belt around his waist.
There are certain fighters that the UFC knows are better in the public eye and which ones are better poster boys and represent the company well. GSP and Jones are two of those, and Stann could be another.
This fight is great for Lombard as well. Lombard jumping right into a title shot would upset some, but by fighting Stann, it gives him a chance to prove himself and his accomplishments thus far. A win over Stann would make people much more receptive for him to get a title shot over other contenders. The fight also helps him get through the mental and psychological process of the UFC debut, and lets him get familiar with everything.
Either way, Stann or Lombard fighting either Silva or Sonnen for the title are great matchups that will bring in amazing financial numbers.
This is not posing that Stann is being given an easy way to the title, but offers the question: Did they make this fight in order to skyrocket Stann to a title shot? Lombard is not a gimme fight, and will be one of Stann’s biggest challenges to date, but was the matchup made because Lombard carries so much weight?
If they did, it is not a bad or negative thing by any means. Rather, it is a brilliant move and one that could prove to be extremely profitable, and not just monetarily. Regardless, it seems the middleweight division, which is notoriously weak, is starting to find its footing.
Fans will argue over who gets the next title shot, but if there’s one thing to remember about the UFC, it’s that it is a business as well.
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