Hector Lombard: Mark Hunt Couldn’t Knock Me Out In Sparring
Former Bellator middleweight champion and current UFC welterweight Hector Lombard has certainly been banging his gums a bit lately. After serving most of his suspension for a failed drug test this past January 3rd, ‘Lightning’ is lining up some potential opponents for his 2016 return, and his old foe Rory MacDonald was the subject of his recent threats.
Lombard’s incredible hand speed combined with brutal power makes him a serious threat to any top flight welterweight, but what often goes unnoticed is his chin. Speaking to our good friends over at Submission Radio, Lombard says his chin has held up against veteran kickboxer and UFC heavyweight Mark Hunt:
“Mark Hunt, he was trying to knock me out one day. He couldn’t. That was the first time that we did [sparring]. Mighty Mo. I don’t know if you know him. Freaking guy is huge. He’s about 330 pounds, maybe 350. He won the Taiwan championships. Huge. And I remember that he just wanted to knock me out and all of a sudden I came out with a jab and I dropped him. But he was kinda like, he wanted to hurt me. I remember with Josh Barnett, we were sparring for about an hour and something, and then he kind of like gave up. You know, stories like that. But I’m just lucky that I’m still going, because after all this hard sparring stuff, you know, I’m lucky to stay in the game.”
On to the subject of Lombard’s ATT (American Top Team) compadre Robbie Lawler, and Lombard believes that the upcoming UFC 195 title fight will be a smash for ‘Ruthless’ against Carlos Condit:
“Robbie’s gonna smash this guy. Robbie’s gonna smash him. Robbie’s gonna smash Carlos.”
“He’s [Robbie Lawler] just tougher. He’s a tough guy. I mean he, imposes his will.”
While Lawler holds the division hostage with his iron grip, Lombard will eye potential burners with Rory MacDonald and Patrick Cote, the latter of whom ‘Lightning’ says is avoiding him:
“I called him out before and he didn’t answer. I called him out twice, he was nowhere to be found. So whatever, man. I called him out twice, I wanted to get on the Australian card, I was looking for an opponent. I was supposed to fight Tyron, it didn’t happen, and then I kept looking for a fighter and I called him out and he didn’t take the fight anyway. So I’m not too sure.”
“I mean everyone is calling me out now, man. I love that, but what I don’t like is I was like a year without a fight because they didn’t wanna fight me. Now everyone wants to fight me. Hopefully next year when I come back in a few months I still have all these offers and everyone wants to fight me.”
A big name like Lombard won’t have any trouble getting a fight when his ban is up, but where will he be left in the division that is ever-stacked with killers?
A win is essential, especially after a year out, a loss could prove to be the nail in the coffin of Lombard’s title hopes. Will the Cuban-Aussie banger fulfil his potential?
