Former middleweight number one contender Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith (13-5) and Cuban Judo Olympian Hector "Shango" Lombard (17-2-1) will soon duke it out the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nevada, adding another exciting bout to the main card of Elite XC's November 8 Showtime event.
Smith has been busy over the past few months feuding with division champion Robbie Lawler. The two competed against one another in the "Fight of the Night" during the debut for Elite XC on CBS back in May before having the bout ruled a no contest in the third round after and inadvertent eye poke.
The rematch went down two months later during the second CBS event. This time, however, Lawler proved to be too much for the challenger, handing him a second round technical knockout with some vicious body kicks and strikes.
Smith's road back to a title shot will not begin with an easy fight -- Lombard is a highly touted prospect with a solid mixed martial arts resume.
"Shango" -- the reigning Cage Fighting Championships (CFC) middleweight title holder -- will be making his debut for the promotion after inking a deal nearly six months ago. He captured the CFC belt with a unanimous decision win over Jean Francois Lenogue last November and has successfully defended his strap three times this year.
His last loss was in 2006 at Pride: "Bushido 13" against the 2008 DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix winner Gegard Mousasi. ince that time, he's put together a streak of 11 straight bouts without a defeat.
November 8 will mark his debut fight on United States soil.
The event will be headlined by a middleweight championship match between Lawler and number one contender Joey Villasenor. The vacant company lightweight title will also be decided in Reno when Nick Diaz and Eddie Alvarez clash in the co-main event.
The action will be aired live on the premium cable channel Showtime beginning at 10 p.m. ET.
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