Former Bellator Middleweight Champ Hector Lombard
Returning to Australia to compete in his adopted home, middleweight Hector ‘Lighting’ Lombard (32-3-1, NC1) found the finish fans expected to see in his debut this summer.
In the opening bout of the UFC on FX 6 main card, Lombard squared off with submission specialist Rousimar Palhares at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Queensland, Australia.
Lombard would control the center of the cage, keeping Palhares on his heels as the Brazilian kept moving backward in an attempt to stay away from the Cuban born fighters left hand.
‘Lightning’ would land a solid punch putting ‘Toquinho’ on his back and would follow his opponent to the mat looking for a finish. Palhares would manage to hold on and eventually Lombard would let his opponent back up to his feet.
Once on their feet, Lombard would open up with his punches again, finding an opening sending Palhares to the mat once again. He’d follow it up with several more punches, this time ending things by TKO at 3:38 of the first.
In Lombard’s post fight interview he commented on his victory, the second according to him following a split decision loss to Tim Boetsch this summer at UFC 149, calling out British middleweight Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping.
“I believe this is my second win in the UFC, but my first in front of my home crowd here in Australia. A KO was what I wanted, and I got it. It means the world to me to fight on the Gold Coast in front of family and friends. Palhares was very strong out there and I have much respect for him.”
“I want to do that to Bisping. Bisping, where are you? Stop talking, I wanna get my hands on you.”
Bisping already has his next match scheduled, headlining this January’s upcoming UFC on FX 7 event opposite Vitor Belfort in Brazil.
If UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva does indeed stick to his plans of not competing till much later this year, UFC matchmakers may wind up pitting Bisping and Lombard against one another in a No. 1 contender bout.