Hector Lombard picked up another win in the UFC’s welterweight division with a convincing victory over Jake Shields.
Shields entered the fight ranked No. 6 in the division, and Lombard came in ranked at No. 12. Lombard will almost assuredly move into t…
Hector Lombard picked up another win in the UFC’s welterweight division with a convincing victory over Jake Shields.
Shields entered the fight ranked No. 6 in the division, and Lombard came in ranked at No. 12. Lombard will almost assuredly move into the top 10 following his UFC 171 decision win.
Lombard controlled the fight throughout but did not push the pace enough to illicit a finish. If he was hoping to show the UFC matchmakers that he should be considered for the next title shot, he failed. Regardless, the talented judo machine marches up the ladder.
Social media was active throughout the fight but slowed down just as the action did inside the cage.
Pre-fight
Round 1
Lombard touched up Shields and cut him open. The Cuban also tossed Shields around the cage with his judo. Shields had virtually no response to Lombard’s brute strength. Shields was knocked down, bloodied and offered little in the way of offense.
Round 2
There was more of the same, but with a little less of the face-punching. Lombard was more controlled in the second round. He was content to hold position on the ground and not give Shields any opportunities for a submission.
Round 3
There was even less action in the third frame, but Shields nearly came away with a walk-off win as the clock ticked down. He grabbed on to a guillotine choke, but time expired before he could get a tap from Lombard. That was about the only bit of action in the five minutes.
Post-fight
Lombard moves on in the division, and Shields’ place in the UFC has to be called into question. After a poor showing against Lombard, it is conceivable that the UFC cuts him following UFC 171. Only time will tell, but there is no shortage of talking points following the fight.
Hector Lombard elevated his stock in a big way at UFC 171, as he dismantled No. 6-ranked welterweight contender Jake Shields for 15 minutes inside the UFC Octagon.
After a disappointing stint at middleweight to begin his UFC career, Lombard has r…
Hector Lombard elevated his stock in a big way at UFC 171, as he dismantled No. 6-ranked welterweight contender Jake Shields for 15 minutes inside the UFC Octagon.
After a disappointing stint at middleweight to begin his UFC career, Lombard has re-emerged as a legitimate contender at welterweight. His knockout of Nate Marquardt at UFC 166 made this notion a talking point among mixed martial arts fans and critics, and his 15-minute romp of Shields on Saturday solidified it.
Despite his displeasing, methodical style, Shields has defeated the likes of Carlos Condit, Dan Henderson, TyronWoodley, YushinOkamiand 25 others throughout his professional career. The dude can fight, and he can defeat high-level opposition.
But he could do nothing to Lombard Saturday evening in Dallas.
Lombard won the stand-up and the grappling battle, securing an easy decision victory.
With the win, he dives into title contention inside the UFC’s welterweight division, which is a surprising development after his uninspiring 1-2 stint at 185 pounds earlier in his UFC career.
What we’ll remember about this fight
Lombard outgrappled Shields.
Coming into the fight, many people saw two possible outcomes: an early Lombard knockout or a grinding Shields decision.
They were wrong.
Lombard threw Shields around the Octagon and thoroughly dismantled him on the feet, cruising to a well-earned unanimous-decision victory.
What we learned about Lombard
Lombard’s cardio can hold up for 15 minutes against an elite grappler.
That’s good news in a division that is dominated by strong wrestlers.
Additionally, he still flexes his judo black belt from time to time. Previously, “Lightning” fell into the trap of relying too much on his vicious knockout power, but he cleverly mixed up his grappling and striking in this one. The combination was too much for Shields to handle.
Well done, Mr. Lombard. You are for real. After all this time, you are ready for the big show.
What we learned about Shields
His one-dimensional skill set has no power here.
Against Lombard, he looked to grapple—and only grapple—and his face (and record) suffered.
Lombard teed off at will on the feet and controlled the fight from top position once it hit the mat. He tossed around Shields like an inexperienced teenager during his first grappling lesson, and aside from a late guillotine attempt, the former Strikeforce champ mounted precisely zero offense.
For Shields, who could have made a splash and staked his claim for a welterweight title shot with a win, this was a supremely disappointing effort.
What’s next for Lombard?
The win was excellent, but he needs one more before he receives a title shot. If neither Carlos Condit nor TyronWoodley looks impressive later in the evening, Lombard should receive the winner in a No. 1 contender’s bout.
Alternatively, Rory MacDonald needs a fight. That makes sense, too.
What’s next for Shields?
If Shields doesn’t get Jon Fitch’ed (or YushinOkami‘ed)—that is, cut after one loss and a series of lackluster wins—I foresee a fight with the loser of Condit vs. Woodley on the horizon.
That, however, might be too kind after his completely uninspired performance.
Rick Story also lost earlier in the evening at UFC 171, and he may prove a more reasonable opponent moving forward for Shields.
Either way, it is clear that he removed himself far from title contention with his poor showing Saturday evening.
UFC 171 Saturday night in Dallas featured a huge eight-fight preliminary card. While it was filled top to bottom with “rising talent,” nearly every bout was entertaining.
There is a lot to talk about with many different fighters…so what did we l…
UFC 171 Saturday night in Dallas featured a huge eight-fight preliminary card. While it was filled top to bottom with “rising talent,” nearly every bout was entertaining.
There is a lot to talk about with many different fighters…so what did we learn?
Justin Scoggins Is Legit
Will Campuzano is a solid fighter. Not great by any stretch of the imagination, but he still has lots of physical tools for a flyweight and some skills to go along with them.
That makes Justin Scoggins‘ utter demolition of him even more impressive. In every single area of the cage, at every stage of the fight and on every level, Scoggins dominated Campuzano. This was one of those performances that set you apart from the pack, and one of the ones that wake fans.
Scoggins probably has some big things in his future.
Dennis Bermudez Is a Beast
I’ve been on the Dennis Bermudez hype train since The Ultimate Fighter, and man, he made me look smart Saturday night. Bermudez fought a solid but obviously overmatched JimyHettes and laid one of 2014’s most lopsided beatdowns on him.
For the first two rounds, he literally tossed him around. Literally! He picked him up and dropped him on numerous occasions. By the third round, he was bored and decided to just knock Hettes out, clubbing him repeatedly with savage left hands and knees until he was nothing but a puddle.
Bermudez has as much skill as anybody in the division and looked absolutely unstoppable against Hettes. Here’s hoping his next opponent is somebody ranked deep in the top 10.
Jessica Andrade Is Not a Legitimate Title Contender
In a bout against what was supposed to be a totally out-of-her-league Raquel Pennington, Jessica Andrade got an utterly unemphatic win.
Don’t get me wrong—it was a fun fight. Fight of the Night at this point. That said, Andrade was poised to jump into title contention with a decisive win over Pennington, and this wasn’t that.
Andrade was on the bad end of most of the exchanges, swinging wild as the rangy Pennington landed jabs on jabs. She would make up for that with takedowns and controlling the center of the cage, but it’s hard to imagine the undersized Andrade, who doesn’t have great striking and certainly doesn’t have great grappling, has a legitimate shot to beat any of the better ladies in the UFC right now.
Kelvin Gastelum May Be a Star in the Making
Don’t look now, but Kelvin Gastelum seems to be putting it all together. The TUF 17 winner went from a sloppy wrestler to an effective grinder during the season, but against Rick Story, he debuted a suddenly impressive striking game, showing off a stiff jab and solid footwork to complement his strong top game and massive frame.
Gastelum is not a complete mixed martial artist quite yet. Story, a wily veteran, gave him a very tough fight and nearly finished him in the second round.
However, Gastelum just beat a very formidable opponent in only his eighth professional fight. That’s a big deal, and it could lead to big things.
Anyway, that doesn’t mean UFC 171 won’t be fun to watch, because honestly, this is a talent-rich card with some very competitive match-ups. In the main event, Johny Hendricks and (incredibly) Robbie Lawler will fight for the UFC’s vacant welterweight title, while a quartet of other 170-pounders (Condit, Woodley, Shields, Lombard) jockey for their place in the divisional pecking order. Plus: The always-entertaining Diego Sanchez will shed some more brain cells in a scrap with the undefeated Myles Jury.
Live UFC 171 results will be available after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and keep an eye on our Twitter and Facebook pages for extra analysis and updates. And as always, thanks for being here.
Anyway, that doesn’t mean UFC 171 won’t be fun to watch, because honestly, this is a talent-rich card with some very competitive match-ups. In the main event, Johny Hendricks and (incredibly) Robbie Lawler will fight for the UFC’s vacant welterweight title, while a quartet of other 170-pounders (Condit, Woodley, Shields, Lombard) jockey for their place in the divisional pecking order. Plus: The always-entertaining Diego Sanchez will shed some more brain cells in a scrap with the undefeated Myles Jury.
Live UFC 171 results will be available after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and keep an eye on our Twitter and Facebook pages for extra analysis and updates. And as always, thanks for being here.
UFC 171 Prelim Results
– Kelvin Gastelum def. Rick Story via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27).
–Â Jessica Andrade def. Raquel Pennington via split decision (29-28 x 2, 28-29)
– Dennis Bermudez def. Jimy Hettes via TKO, 2:57 of round 3
– Alex Garcia def. Sean Spencer via split-decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
– Frank Trevino def. Renee Forte via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
– Justin Scoggins def. Will Campuzano via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
– Sean Strickland def. Robert “Bubba” McDaniel via submission (rear-naked choke), 4:33 of round 1
– Robert Whiteford def. Daniel Pineda via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x 2)
Round 1: After some feeling-out, OSP lands a body kick and goes right into a successful takedown. Very slick. OSP in side control but Krylov locking his head down, trying one of those one-arm guillotines from the bottom that never ever work. So, St. Preux sets up a Von Flue choke, putting his shoulder on Krylov’s neck and squeezing it together with his free arm. Krylov goes limp and referee Dan Miragliotta jumps in. Ovince St. Preux def. Nikita Krylov via submission (Von Flue choke), 1:29 of round 1.
Jake Shields vs. Hector Lombard
Round 1: Lombard takes the center of the cage, swings his way into a clinch, and dumps Shields on his ass. Shields gets up. Lombard lands hard and Shields falls to the mat. He ain’t following Shields down there, though. Shields gets up, Lombard lands hard. This really isn’t going well for Jake. Shields shoots and Lombard sees it coming, easily defending. They clinch agains the mat. Nice dirty boxing from Lombard and Shields scampers away. Shields shoots from a mile away and fails. Lombard abuses Shields with more punches. Shields is bleeding badly from near his left eye. Shields shoots, Lombard assaults him with punches and a kick, bashing Shields to the mat and getting on top. Shields trying to box Lombard off his back. The referee is getting impatient, saying “c’mon guys” over and over again even though both guys are staying active. Shields locks Lombard down in the last ten seconds, and survives to the second round. 10-9 Lombard, easy.
Round 2: Shields with an inside leg kick. Then he goes high. Lombard comes in slugging, but doesn’t land anything cleanly. Lombard fires a few more punches to get Shields covering up, then trips him to the mat again. Shields establishes full guard. Lombard doing very little from the top, partly due to Shields controlling his position. The ref breaks ‘em. Lombard might be slowing down. He’s flat footed right now, and the ref warms them for not engaging on the feet. They lock lead-hands in a pro-wrestling style test of strength. Shields shoots, Lombard sprawls. Shields throws an upkick and gets to his feet. Body kick Shields. Lombard lands a short left when Shields rushes in, then flips Shields to the mat again. The ref immediately says “c’mon guys.” Man, fuck that guy. Lombard in Shields’s guard. That’s the round. I’d give it to Lombard 10-9, but it was much closer than the first.
Round 3: Shields goes high with a kick. He tries it again, Lombard catches it and swings a big counterpunch. Lombard front-kicks Shields in the balls and gets warned for it. Shields goes back in pretty quickly, tries for a takedown, and gets reversed by Lombard, who gets on top of him once more. Lombard tries some actual ground-and-pound for a change, but it doesn’t last long. The ref stands them up. Shields shoots, Lombard sprawls right on top of him. Shields’s face is a bloody mess. Shields throwing some very ineffective strikes from the bottom. Lombard seems content to ride out the round on top of Shields. The ref stands them up again. Joe Rogan is burying Lombard’d performance, saying he’s “doing just enough to win.” In the waning seconds of the fight, Shields goes for a guillotine after Lombard tries for a takedown and it actually looks really tight, but the clock runs out.
Hector Lombard def. Jake Shields via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28). “Somebody gave Lombard the last round just because of that guillotine,” Rogan says.
Diego Sanchez vs. Myles Jury
This might the first time I’ve actually seen Myles Jury. They say he’s undefeated in the UFC, but shit, I wouldn’t know. Sanchez’s nose looks like it’s still broken from his fight against Melendez. He’s wearing a mohawk in the classic crazy-guy style.
Round 1: Both guys throwing at air for a while. Sanchez tries a spinning side kick and Jury nails him with a counterpunch. Sanchez backs up then starts giving Jury the “come on!” hand gesture. Jury tries a head kick. Sanchez barrels in with punches and lands one clean. They clinch on the fence. Sanchez looks to set up a takedown, but Jury spins out and escapes. Jury with a body kick, Sanchez returns fire. Jury catches a kick from Sanchez. Leg kick from Jury lands clean. Sanchez wades in brawling and Jury has to retreat. Jumping front kick from Sanchez, and a body kick that lands. Jury lands a punch that briefly wobbles Sanchez. He goes for the head kick, then tags Sanchez with a right hand. Jury scores a takedown in the last 30 seconds and drops a bomb from above. Sanchez threatens with a leg lock and Jury has to stop attacking and defend it. The round ends. Probably 10-9 Jury.
Round 2: Leg kick Jury. Sharp body kick from Sanchez. Sanchez swings wildly, and Jury has to get the eff out of dodge. Jury lands a monster overhand right that wobbles Sanchez, who grabs his eye in pain and surprise. Sanchez’s left eye is gashed. But Sanchez lands hard on Jury in a striking combo. Jury pops an uppercut when Sanchez is coming in, and ducks away. Jury sticks the jab. Sanchez’s face is looking rough. Sanchez lands a hard body kick. Sanchez lands a hard right hook as Jury shoots for a takedown, successfully. Sanchez grabs an arm-in guillotine. It looks tight, but Jury gives the ref a thumbs-up. Sanchez eventually has to let it go and they’re soon back on their feet. Jury lands a punch, Sanchez throws back. That’s the round.
Round 3: Jury jabbing. Then a leg kick. Sanchez tries a jumping front kick. Sanchez runs forward charging in with punches, as he likes to do. Head kick Jury. Sanchez fires another series of punches but can’t land much. Body kick Sanchez. And a leg kick. Sanchez fires to the body. Jury is doing a lot of avoiding at this point. He lands a counter-punch and slips out of the way. Nice flying knee from Jury nails Sanchez in the face. Jury takes Sanchez to the mat. Sanchez punches him off and lands a couple of upkicks to Jury’s body. They scrap on the mat and Sanchez attempts another guillotine as time runs out.
Myles Jury def. Diego Sanchez via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28). Joe Rogan asks Jury if anything surprised him about fighting Diego Sanchez, and he says, “not to sound cocky, but it surprised me how easy I beat him.” Wow. Kind of a dick move, bro.
Carlos Condit vs. Tyron Woodley
Round 1: Woodley lands a nasty straight right and Condit is back on his heels already. Woodley does it again. He storms Condit with a flurry of strikes. Condit throws a side kick and Woodley smacks him again. They clinch against the fence, and Woodley lands a sharp elbow. They trade knees. Woodley slips in an uppercut. They separate. Condit fires some kicks that miss but lands a nice left hand. Condit shoots forward with a superman punch, and Woodley grabs him and deposits him on the mat. Condit working some high guard and threatens with a triangle. Woodley picks him up and tosses him to get out of it. Condit gets to his feet. Woodley ducks under a high kick and takes Condit to the mat again. Condit is up. Woodley lands a spinning elbow as Condit rushes in, but Condit attacks to the bell. Good round; I’d give it to Woodley 10-9.
Round 2: Leg kick Condit. Then high kicks with both legs. Woodley brushes Condit back with a big right hand. Woodley blasts forward and gets a takedown. Condit grimaces; he might have gotten injured on the way down. Woodley in Condit’s guard. The ref stands them up after a brief stalemate. Woodley lands a nasty leg kick, Condit spins around and goes down holding his right knee. The fight is over. Â Tyron Woodley def. Carlos Condit via TKO, 2:00 of round 2. Woodley makes his case for a title shot. In the replay, you can see that Woodley connected with Condit’s left knee, but Condit’s right knee visibly collapsed while he was spinning around on it. Pretty nasty. Condit might be gone for a while.
Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler
Lawler made his MMA debut three months after George W. Bush’s first inauguration. And here he is. It’s rare you get to see a man’s final shot at greatness, but this is probably it.
Round 1: Sharp leg kick from Hendricks to start. Lawler swarms and lands a bunch of hard punches. Hendricks fires his left hand from long distance. Lawler lands an uppercut as Hendricks charges in. They clinch against the fence. Hendricks disengages. Again, Hendricks shoots in and Lawler bashes him with an uppercut, then a couple more strikes before they separate. Hendricks lands another nice leg kick. And one to the inside. A 1-2 from Hendricks lands. Lawler lads a right hook as Hendricks advances. Hendricks throws his left hand, a leg kick, and shoots in. Dirty boxing from Hendricks against the fence. Hendricks works some knees to the thighs as the round ends. Hard to score…I’d give it to Lawler for landing the harder shots.
Round 2: Lawler with a left hand, and another. His leg is swelling up from Hendricks’s kicks, though. Lawler lands again. Hendricks storms forward, brawling at Lawler. He lands a punishing leg kick. Hendricks pawing with the jab. Hendricks lands punches, a knee, more punches, and finishes with a leg kick. More punches from Hendricks. He’s really turning it on now. Lawler lands a left. Hendricks throws punches to get inside and finishes with a hard inside leg kick. But Lawler catches Hendricks with a stiff punch. Leg kick Hendricks, left hand from Lawler. Knee and punch from Hendricks. Lawler ambling toward Hendricks, and Hendricks is pot-shotting him at will. They start slugging at close range. Lawler lands a head kick, but Hendricks returns with more punches. Lawler doesn’t know anything other than go forward, and it’s not working out for him tonight. Clear 10-9 for Hendricks.
Round 3: Lawler lands a leg kick of his own. But Hendricks returns it. A knee to the dome from Hendricks, a leg kick from Lawler. Lawler just stealing Hendricks’s gameplan now. But Hendricks lands a long series of punches and knees. Left hand from Hendricks lands. They trade hooks. Lawler staggers Hendricks with a punch, and pursues, smelling blood. Lawler landing some nasty shots, and Hendricks is wobbly but somehow he’s staying on his feet. Lawler chasing him around the cage landing shot after shot. Hendricks shoots for a desperation takedown, but Lawler defends it. Still, Hendricks gets a moment to clear the cobwebs, and he’s back to landing punches of his own. Knee and punches from Hendricks. Hendricks pops some jabs to the bell. What a crazy round. Both of these guys have iron chins.
Round 4: Lawler remains the aggressor, marching forward and landing punch after punch. Hendricks lands his leg kick again but Lawler appears unfazed and goes back to landing power shots. Hendricks shoots and is stuffed. His face is badly bloodied, due to a cut near his right eye. Lawler pops a jab, follows with a hook. Hendricks lands a pair of left hands. Lawler with a hook. He jacks Hendricks’s head back with an uppercut, but Hendricks fires right back. Lawler with a jab. Lawler lands a hook as Hendricks is throwing. Lawler landing that jab again. Leg kick from Hendricks lands. Hendricks shoots and lands a takedown. The round ends.
“YOU HAVE TO WIN THIS ROUND RIGHT FUCKIN’ NOW!!” Marc Laimon screams at Hendricks.
Round 5: Lawler with a big left hand. Hendricks is trying to keep the pressure on Lawler, stalking him around the cage. Hendricks shoots, Lawler defends. Hendricks with some knees to Lawler’s leg from a clinch against the fence. The ref breaks them. Lawler jabs. A punch and hard leg kick from Hendricks. And again. Hook/cross from Lawler. More punches from Lawler wobble Hendricks, but Hendricks lands some hard shots of his own, and Lawler stumbles back. Hendricks with an uppercut, followed by more punches. Two big punches and a leg kick from Hendricks. Hendricks shoots for the takedown and gets it. Lawler looks annoyed. Hendricks throws in some punches to Lawler’s head against the fence, and the round ends.
Johny Hendricks def. Robbie Lawler via unanimous decision (48-47 x 3). Hendricks is the new UFC welterweight champion, and he and his cornermen absolutely lose their shit in the cage. “Robbie’s fuckin’ tough,” Hendricks tells Joe Rogan. “God dang.” Hendricks thanks the fans, his wife, his daughters, his team. He says he knows he’ll face Lawler again. Great fight.
UFC 171’s main event will crown the new king of the welterweight division.
No. 1-ranked Johny Hendricks takes on No. 3-ranked Robbie Lawler for the vacant welterweight title. The two hard-hitting 170-pound fighters will try to fill the …
UFC 171‘s main event will crown the new king of the welterweight division.
No. 1-ranked Johny Hendricks takes on No. 3-rankedRobbieLawlerfor the vacant welterweight title. The two hard-hitting 170-pound fighters will try to fill the void left by Georges St-Pierre.
Hendricks will get his second straight attempt at UFC gold, whileLawlerwill have his first shot in his long career. This fight is one of the most promising main events in recent memory, and the excitement extends beyond the cage door.
Before the action on Saturday, bettors will take a look at the fight odds to find the right play for their money.
The odds provided are estimates for consideration. The stylistic matchup on display offers some interesting betting odds leading into UFC 171.
Straight Up: Hendricks (-350) against Lawler (+265)
Surprisingly, the odds did not move much following Hendricks’ weigh-in drama on Friday. It is not a shock that he remains the favorite, but it is surprising that he’s still such a big one over Lawler.
The line has moved down only slightly from Friday when UFC analyst Jon Anik noted the betting odds.
Lawler is not going to lie down for Hendricks, and “Ruthless” can keep a high pace that may adversely affect Hendricks as the fight plays on.
The real money is in the prop bets.
Victory by Decision: Hendricks (+225), Lawler (+600)
Hendricks and Lawler have a lot of power in their striking, but both are also tough to finish. Could this go the full five rounds? Absolutely.
Especially if the weight cut hurts Hendricks’ cardio.
As the fight drags on, it will become less likely that either man will finish the other. The pep behind their strikes will be gone, and they’ll become sloppier in their attacks. The two wrestlers would likely rely on their base to grind out a win.
There is value here.
Victory via Submission: Hendricks (+1000), Lawler (+2500)
The steep odds for a finish by submission look enticing, and if you are throwing money around, then this prop bet could be worth a few dollars. However, the risk is high.
Hendricks and Lawler have one submission victory apiece in their MMA careers: a 2005 armbar from Lawler and a 2008 D’Arce choke by Hendricks.
Both of their ground games are underrated, but it is more about positioning than their submission acumen.
Hendricks is most likely to be in a better position to finish with a submission than Lawler. That is why he is the smarter play in this instance. His base would not allow Lawler the space to catch him in a submission, and Ruthless has dropped five of his nine losses by way of submission.
If you are going to take the risk, it is better to side with Hendricks here. Remember: position before submission.
Victory by KO/TKO: Hendricks (+100), Lawler (+450)
The heavy artillery of the two top-tier welterweights is what everyone is anticipating, and so are the oddsmakers.
The value isn’t quite there for Hendricks, but there is a strong case to be made for his counterpart.
Lawler is more diverse in his striking than Hendricks, and he has showcased knockout ability with punches, knees and kicks. “Bigg Rigg,” on the other hand, has put most of his stock into his straight left hand.
Being one-dimensional makes it easier for his opponents to game-plan against him, and there is little doubt that Lawler has been working on nullifying the left hand in training.
The risk in this bet comes in the fact that both men are tough to finish by strikes. They have good chins, but more importantly, they have quality striking defense. Regardless, if the fight ends before the judges render a decision, it is likely that someone will get knocked out.
Lawler has the better value.
The odds for UFC 171 tell an interesting story. Now it’s time for these two elite welterweights to decide who will lead the division forward in 2014.
Why is Nick Diaz in Dallas for UFC 171?
Maybe he just wanted to watch a night of excellent fighting, but something in the air smells fishy.
The former title challenger has been a bit more outspoken as of late and certainly during the UF…
Maybe he just wanted to watch a night of excellent fighting, but something in the air smells fishy.
The former title challenger has been a bit more outspoken as of late and certainly during the UFC 171 weigh-ins. He heckled Johny Hendricks throughout his attempt to make weight andeven told reportersthat he could make 170 pounds by 3 a.m. if necessary.
I don’t care, I’m talking about a title fight matchup. Bottom line, I’m the only draw here. Bottom line. We had like the third biggest [pay-per-view]. That wasn’t just because of Georges St-Pierre. And these guys aren’t doing that. People want to pay to see me fight, they want to see someone get knocked out or someone get tapped out, or they want to see me get my ass whooped like they’ve been waiting to see but they still don’t get to see.
That would look to be off the table with No. 2-ranked Carlos Condit fighting in the co-main event of the evening. However, earlier this week, UFC president Dana White said that Condit is not guaranteed a title shot with a win.
So no one is in line for a shot at the championship, Diaz is in a remarkably good mood in Dallas, and he has the eye of both challengers at UFC 171.
Do not be shocked if he enters the cage after the fight as the next title challenger.
When Diaz showed up at the weigh-ins on Friday, the UFC social media team was awfully close by, capturing everything from him. The UFC tweeted his presence and then posted Vines of his heckling very quickly.
Diaz has not fought in the UFC since dropping a decision to Georges St-Pierre early last year. He has lost two-in-a-row—including a fight against Condit.
Why would the UFC grant Diaz an immediate title shot? Because he draws.
The Stockton native is a polarizing figure in mixed martial arts, and that makes him one of the bigger attractions in the sport. Fans will purchase tickets and pay-per-views to watch him perform, and those who hate Diaz will do the same to see him get beaten up.
When GSP stepped away from the sport, he left a hole in the UFC. The biggest draw in the company was suddenly gone. The UFC is not based on MMA purity. It is a promotion company, and one of the biggest draws is at its fingertips.
All he wants is a title shot.
Hendricks is already on record that he would fight Diaz, and Lawler has his own history with 209’s favorite son. Both fights are interesting.
There are no guarantees that Diaz will get the next shot, but don’t be surprised if the UFC gives it to him. The promotion needs a marketable fight, and he will put a lot of interest back into the welterweight title picture.
Keep an eye on the post-fight happenings at UFC 171.
Update:Jack Encarnacao of Sherdog.com posted this rumor Friday following the weigh-ins. It makes a lot of sense, but what season of The Ultimate Fighter would they coach? Still, it’s an additional factor to the ever-growing theory of Diaz‘s imminent return.
Hector Lombard picked up another win in the UFC’s welterweight division with a convincing victory over Jake Shields.
