Monday, July 30, 2012

Should Hector Lombard drop to welterweight after debut loss at UFC 149?

Hector Lombard came into UFC 149 riding a long win streak and an unstoppable hype train. He walked out of UFC 149 with a decision loss and a disappointed boss.

"It wasn't the fight I was expecting," UFC president Dana White admitted. "It just wasn't what I thought it was going to be. Whether it was Boetsch or Lombard winning, I was expecting a real war. I thought this thing was going to be a war."

It was far from an exciting bout, as Lombard, known for his aggression and knockouts, showed little aggressiveness in the bout. White wondered if Octagon jitters got the best of Lombard, and also threw out the idea that middleweight is too big of a weight class.

"Lombard maybe should fight at 170," White said. "He made 185 easily. He's short and wide, but I think he could make 170."

In a Q and A before the UFC 149 weigh-ins, middleweight Michael Bisping made jokes about Lombard's height.

"I bumped into Hector Lombard in the elevator, and I thought someone was playing a practical joke. I was like, 'Who is this dwarf?' I think he's in the wrong weight class. I think he's in the 125 weight class."

At 5-foot-9, Lombard is one of the shortest middleweights in the division. Most 185ers in the UFC are at least six-foot. Champion Anderson Silva is 6-foot-2. Though fighters have overcome height and reach differences in bouts -- think Travis Browne knocking out Stefan Struve -- there is no reason for Lombard to come into the fight at a disadvantage if he is comfortable dropping down.

Should he drop down? Tell us your thoughts in the comments, on Facebook or Twitter.

Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
Tim Tebow working with former MLB pitcher on his throwing mechanics
Ernie Els comes from six shots back to win British Open in dramatic fashion
Ronda Rousey calls out Michael Phelps for diva behavior in Beijing
Y! Screen: Watch as a kitten attacks a doberman

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/hector-lombard-drop-welterweight-debut-loss-ufc-149-135354108--mma.html

Tony DeSouza  Edwin Dewees  Nick Diaz  Tadhg Steamfist Dixon Joe Doerksen 

No comments:

Post a Comment