With ‘No Excuses' This Time Hector Lombard Wants to Prove His Worth at UFC on FX 6
Hector Lombard‘s UFC debut didn't go to plan in Calgary earlier this year, but the former Bellator champion is looking to prove his worth on Saturday when he takes on Rousimar Palhares at UFC on FX 6 on the Gold Coast in Australia.
Lombard carried broken ribs into his last fight at UFC 149 against Tim Boetsch, which ended a six-year unbeaten streak, but he admits there are “no excuses” this time when he fights in a country where he has enjoyed much success in the past.
“The training camp has been great, I'm happy and everything is perfect for this fight,” Lombard said.
Palhares is well known for his ground game and dangerous leg locks, but Lombard feels that the Brazilian is a “one dimensional” fighter.
“Everyone knows he's going to go to the ground, I will just have to capatalize on that and keep the fight standing,” Lombard told the media gathered. “He will try and break my legs, but my jiu-jitsu can match his. I will try and keep it standing, but I'm happy to go to the ground.”
While Lombard is confident that he can return with a win over Palhares, he knows full well that a loss will spell disaster.
“I'm not looking beyond Palhares right now, because a win over him unlocks everything else. But if I come up short again, my career will be in a very bad place,” Lombard wrote in his column on The Roar.
“Going into this fight I am using the disappointment of the Boetsch loss to fuel my fire and inspire me to look for the stoppage from the moment the fight begins.
“I'm not looking to beat Palhares by decision or just ‘squeak' past him. I want to beat him emphatically and for there to be no doubt at the end of the fight.”
(Follow @AndrewPMMA on Twitter / Photo courtesy of Chez Watts)
