Hector Lombard has finally got a win in the UFC after his lacklustre debut in July at UFC 149 against Tim Boetsch.
At the time he was riding a 20-fight winning streak and was being talked of as a possible opponent for Anderson Silva for the middleweight belt.
After beating Rousimar Palhares at UFC on FX 6 this weekend in Queensland, Australia, he can once again take his place among possible title contenders. But first, he must beat another highly ranked middleweight.
And there’s no obvious opponent right now.
Lombard called out Michael Bisping immediately after his win against Palhares. The pair have been having a war of words since the Cuban joined the UFC, and that fight would be great for fans.
However, Bisping is expected to face Vitor Belfort in January, and with everything that can happen with injuries and post-fight suspensions, Lombard could be sitting out a long time before he is given his first-choice opponent.
There are similar problems with other top middleweights—Alan Belcher is fighting at the end of the month, Chris Weidman is out with an injury, and Mark Munoz, the man he’s wanted to fight from the beginning, is coming off a loss.
Much will depend on how the UFC wants to shake up the division and when champion Silva will actually consider returning to the Octagon. With those caveats in mind, here are five possible opponents for Lombard to take next.