Mentioning Hector Lombard's name in the welterweight division is like turning on the lights in a room full of roaches, everyone just scatters.
The former Bellator Middleweight Champion, who dropped down to 170 pounds in order to try his luck as a UFC welterweight, is having trouble finding an opponent, despite the fact that he is healthy, coming off a win, and eager to fight.
Now he knows how "The Eagle" feels.
Lombard has been trying to secure a fight against former division number one contender Nick Diaz, but the Stockton slugger is "running" from the former Olympian and trying to land a championship bout. Plan B was a crack at Patrick Cote, but it appears "The Predator" has other plans, according to Ariel Helwani on UFC Tonight:
"He's very eager to fight Nick Diaz, but he's thinks Nick running from him, so he'd like to fight Patrick Cote. But Patrick has other plans and doesn't want to fight Hector."
After a pair of lame-duck performances at middleweight, "Lightning" made the drop in weight with frightening results. He put Nate Marquardt on ice in a first-round laugher at UFC 166, then ragdolled Jake Shields for 15 minutes at UFC 171 back in March.
Lombard has a punishing ground game, as well as one-punch knockout power.
That's probably why no one is in any kind of hurry to sign on the dotted line. But sooner or later someone is going to have to step up and put pen to paper. Most of the top contenders (see the list here) are already busy, so how does UFC solve its matchmaking problem?
Opinions, please.