UFC: Cuban Hector Lombard tests positive for anabolic steroid, removed from UFC 186 bout

ESPN

By Brett Okamoto 

UFC welterweight Hector Lombard has tested positive for an anabolic steroid in a test he submitted after defeating Josh Burkman at UFC 182 on Jan. 3 in Las Vegas.

Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Bob Bennett confirmed the results to ESPN.com on Tuesday. MMA Fighting first reported Lombard's failed test.

Lombard (35-4-1) tested positive for desoxymethyltestosterone, according to lab reports. The sample was collected Jan. 3 and reported to the NSAC on Jan. 13.

News of the failed test comes immediately after the UFC announced on Tuesday that a scheduled fight between Lombard and Rory MacDonald at UFC 186 on April 25 had been canceled. The UFC did not provide details on why the bout had been pulled at that time.

UFC director of communications Dave Sholler acknowledged to ESPN.com that Lombard was removed due to the failed test. The UFC is exploring new options for MacDonald.

A former Bellator MMA middleweight champion, Lombard signed with UFC in 2012 and dropped to the welterweight division in 2013. He has compiled a 3-0 record since, aligning himself toward a potential title shot in 2015.

He faces a fine and suspension due to the failed test. His unanimous decision win against Burkman will likely change to a no-contest.

Burkman (27-11) commented via Twitter shortly after the news broke.

Hector Lombard Disappointed in Burkman Fight, Happy for US-Cuba Progress

MMAWeekly.com

MMA - Yoel Romero, Hector Lombard excited about improvement of U.S.-Cuba relations

MMA Fighting

By Marc Raimondi 

Yoel Romero/
www.mmaweekly.com

President Barack Obama announced recently that the United States would restore full diplomatic relations with Cuba. The U.S. will open an embassy in Havana for the first time in more than 50 years and negotiations are ongoing about lifting the 54-year-old trade embargo.

The news came as a surprise to many, including UFC fighters and Cuba natives Hector Lombard and Yoel Romero. Both men defected from Cuba to further their MMA careers and are excited about the possibility of U.S. relations with their home country being mended.

"It's great news for all the Cuban families and everybody that is Cuban," Romero told MMA Fighting through a translator. "People from Cuba have a lot of hurt in their heart. Many of their family members have died crossing the Caribbean. It's very dangerous. I wouldn't want to wish it on anybody. Little kids crossing the Caribbean in canoes, they make up floats out of air mattresses. It's incredible. The people in Cuba are really hurt. This is really great news and could bring a lot of happiness to families living in Cuba. They could come here like regular people and not have to worry."

Romero, a former Olympic silver medalist for the Cuban wrestling team, defected to Germany in 2007. Lombard was an Olympic judoka for Cuba and defected to Australia in 2004. Both men still have family members in the country and hope for a better life for them.

"One of the reasons I didn't want to go back is it's painful," Lombard told MMA Fighting. "It's painful to see so much poverty. And me being OK, I wouldn't forgive myself. A lot of people are OK with it. They go over there and show up, show off and drive a nice car, have a lot of stuff, jewelry. I wouldn't feel happy with myself to go over there and show off in front of people and be OK with it. One of the reasons why I never went, there's so much poverty I wouldn't feel happy with myself. You feel guilty. I went through it and it's no fun."

Trade opening up between the U.S. and Cuba would certainly help the Cuban economy. And the ability for Cubans to emigrate freely would also be beneficial -- especially for athletes.

Hector Lombard/ prommanow.com

Romero and Lombard both believe there could be an influx of Cuban fighters in the UFC if that happens. There is a surplus of excellent athletes in the country, they said.

"If they are allowed to leave Cuba and come to the U.S., I think it'll be a great opportunity for a lot of athletes," Romero said. "It'll have to be their choice, but if they do make the choice, it would be a great opportunity for them. I don't know much about baseball, but in MMA there are better gyms here and better coaching. There's more room to grow in the sport. In Cuba, they are more limited and it is more difficult and different."

Both Romero and Lombard said they would look into the possibility of bringing family members over to the U.S., if those relatives so choose. Both of them enjoy their lives in Miami, a Cuban hotbed. Lombard does not paint a nice portrait of what life is like in Cuba.

"Imagine waking up in the morning and not having anything to eat, nothing to wear," Lombard said. "That's tough.

"I hope it helps the Cuban people. They've had a tough time for so many years. Trust me, it's no fun to live there, honestly."

UFC 171: Hector Lombard domina por completo a Jake Shields

enlapelea

www.mmamania.com

Hector Lombard dio la presentación de su carrera este sábado al vencer a Jake Shields en una muy dominante decisión que seguramente lo catapultará hasta el top 5 de la división welter.

Hector Lombard llegó a la UFC con la promesa de ser un asesino, alguien que causaría un enorme impacto en la división de los pesos medios. Por lastima esto nunca paso, pero un cambio de división lo ha llevado a ese nivel. Este sábado en el evento UFC 171 el Cubano logró dominar por completo al eterno veterano Jake Shields en una pelea que seguramente lo catapultará al top 5 de la división.

Hector comenzó a destruir a Shields poco a poco en el primer round, conectando monstruosos golpes sin mencionar una patada a la cabeza que le abrió una cortada al antiguo campeón de Strikeforce. Las cosas se pusieron un poco más lentas en el segundo round, pero aun así Lombard sacó lo mejor del asalto y se mostró muy inteligente al no hacer nada tonto en la guardia de Shields. Lombard continuo dominando el tercer round, salvo por un intento de guillotina por parte de Shields en los últimos segundos del asalto.

Con la victoria Hector elevó su récord a un 34-4-1 y gana su segunda pelea desde haber tomado la decisión de bajar a la división welter.

Hector Lombard knockea a Palhares

Fotografía cortesía de Ric Fogel para ESPN.com

Esta fue la pelea que todo mundo espero de Hector Lombard cuando recién entro a la UFC, una obra maestra de violencia que suele terminar con sus oponentes destruidos en el suelo. Esto llego una pelea después de lo que el hubiera deseado, pero es un excelente comienzo.

Eliminando de nuestras mentes su decepcionante presentación contra Tim Boetsch en Julio, Lombard peleo con enorme agresión de principio a fin, destruyendo a Rousimar Palhares en un TKO dentro del primer round de su pelea en el evento UFC on FX 6. La finalización llego en el minuto 3:38.

Palhares en verdad nunca tuvo una oportunidad, ya que Lombard continuamente lo acoso y por lastima Palhares estuvo girando a su derecha – la mano de poder de Lombard. Antes de la finalización Lobard mando a la lona a su oponente con un fuerte gancho derecho, pero Palhares fue capaz de cubrirse y subsecuentemente sobrevivir.

Momentos después Lombard llevo de nuevo la pelea a sus pies donde volvió a acosar al Brasileño hasta acorralarlo en la reja. Palhares sintió el dolor de una izquierda y fue mandado a la lona con un gancho, para luego ser finalizado con una serie de golpes en el suelo. Después de la pelea Hector comento lo siguiente:

Hector Lombard: “Me gustaría hacerle eso a Michael Bisping.”

Lombard mejora su récord a un 32-3-1 y vuelve a la cima de la división mientras que Rousimar pierde por segunda vez consecutiva y baja su récord a un 14-5.

Hector 'Shango' Lombard in Against Tim Boetsch at UFC 149

By Tristen Critchfield

Hector Lombard has a new opponent, but he won’t be fighting on Aug. 4.

UFC officials announced late Wednesday evening that the former Bellator Fighting Championships middleweight king will face Tim Boetsch at UFC 149 in Calgary on July 21. Michael Bisping was originally slated to face “The Barbarian” on the card, the “Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 winner was forced to withdraw from the contest due to an injury suffered while training. It was the latest in a long string of injury woes for the Las Vegas-based promotion, which recently lost Brian Stann -- Lombard’s initial matchup -- to an undisclosed injury earlier Wednesday.

UFC 149 takes place at the Scotiabank Saddledome and is expected to be headlined by a featherweight title tilt between reigning champion Jose Aldo and Erik Koch; also on the bill is a heavyweight clash pitting Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira against Cheick Kongo.

Lombard enters his UFC debut riding a 25-fight unbeaten streak. The 34-year-old Cuban went unbeaten in eight Bellator appearances, most recently besting Trevor Prangley at Bellator 58 in November. The American Top Team representative owns notable victories over Alexander Shlemenko, Brian Ebersole, James Te Huna and Joe Doerksen, among others.

After posting a 3-3 mark to begin his Octagon career as a light heavyweight, Boetsch has appeared rejuvenated since dropping to 185 pounds prior to UFC 130, defeating Kendall Grove, Nick Ring and Yushin Okami in his first three middleweight bouts.

UFC - Hector "Shango" Lombard coming to UFC

 

Dave Mandel/Sherdog.comWelcome to the big leagues: Hector Lombard won't get any soft touches in the UFC.

The one thing that any successful fighter heading into the UFC will hear is this: He’s overrated. He hasn’t faced any real competition. Somebody’s about to come crashing down to earth. Somebody is about to get exposed.

That "somebody" this time happens to be Hector Lombard, the popular Bellator middleweight champion who has rattled off 20 victories in a row, including eight as the company’s flagship. Lombard is a menace at 185 pounds and is sculpted like a Frank Frazetta overlord, but the big gripe against him is he’s beating guys named Falaniko Vitale and Herbert Goodman instead of cats like Mark Munoz and Rousimar Palhares.

All that changes, now that Lombard makes his way to the UFC. Instead of facing UFC castoffs like Jay Silva and Joe Doerksen, the 34-year old American Top Team fighter will face UFC regulars. It’s a completely different vantage point. Lombard’s new assignment is to covert guys into UFC castoffs rather than feast on what’s left of their good names.

Here’s a quick look at five guys who would make for mean welcoming parties for “Shango.”

Brian Stann
Back when Jorge Santiago had built up a new head of stream in Sengoku, he became a popular dark horse pick against Brian Stann at UFC 130. What did Stann do? He punched the daylights out of him. And wouldn’t you know that just as Lombard brings his 25-fight unbeaten streak into the UFC, Stann is coming off a big victory over Alessio Sakara and needs an upgrade in opponent, just as all the bigger names are occupied?

Enter Hector Lombard. The great thing about this fight is both guys like to bang on the feet. Lombard is a precision striker who carries a lot of power. He likes to fight guys that get right up in his wheelhouse and tempt him into uncoiling. That’s Stann, who makes it his duty to oblige brawlers. (And just as often, shut them down).

Jake Shields
Shields has bounced back and forth between 170 and 185 pounds, and after a fairly subpar run in the UFC’s welterweight division, it looks like he’ll bulk back up. Bottom line is, he wasn't losing to slouches, either -- Georges St. Pierre and Jake Ellenberger (under trying circumstances, dealing with the passing of his father) never looked like easy outs.

But the last time we saw Shields as a middleweight he looked ... if not great, then totally resilient. He beat up Jason Miller for five rounds, and then improbably defended the Strikeforce belt against Dan Henderson in a fight he had his wits scrambled in the first round. Not to name drop, but Shields was the last guy to defeat Henderson, who is now set to fight Jon Jones for the 205-pound title. Think he wouldn’t like to punch some holes in Lombard’s lore? And for those desperate for storylines or loose patriotism, it’d be the battle of the Americas -- American Jiu-Jitsu versus American Top Team.

Luke Rockhold
Hey, while we’re restocking the UFC’s middleweight division with valuable intrigues, why not bring Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold into the UFC fold to face Lombard? It’s not the likeliest scenario, but Rockhold has just come into his own at a time when Strikeforce has become a weekend skeleton crew. Think he likes the idea of challenges named Keith Jardine or, maybe at some point, Bristol Marunde?

It’s fun to imagine a Rockhold/Lombard scrap. You’ve got two guys who aren’t afraid to fight in the pocket, each with a durable chin and sadistic intentions. It has “back-and-forth war” written all over it, a great UFC debut for both ... but it looks like Rockhold will get that long-awaited battle with Stikeforce contender Tim Kennedy, thus rendering this flight of fancy moot. Truth be told, we’re merely throwing Rockhold’s name out there in the off chance that matchmakers Sean Shelby and Joe Silva are combing the Internet for suggestions.

Ronaldo Souza
Again, we’re dealing in Strikeforce property (read: ultimately Zuffa’s), but Souza hates the pace of fighting once every six to eight months. And if the promotion does make Kennedy versus Rockhold, that means Jacare is going to be fighting some unmentionable. If the UFC brought Souza over to face Lombard, you’ve got the strutting fisticuffs that languished in Bellator for too long against the tall-grass predator with the aggressive, limb snatching jiu-jitsu. What better?

And how would that be for a red carpet rollout for both guys into the Octagon?

Ed Herman
You laugh. I can see you laughing. But let me put Herman’s name into perspective. For one thing, he has been completely rejuvenated since coming back from his knee injury and setbacks, having won three fights in a row. For another, “Short Fuse” is a finisher just like Lombard. In every one of those fights he dusted his hands of the opponent, beginning with Tim Credeur (whom he TKO’d in 48 seconds) and ending with Clifford Starks (second round rear-naked choke).

The guy he beat in-between? Why that was Kyle Noke (via first round heel hook), the same guy who took Lombard to a draw back in 2007. Herman is creeping up on the pack in the middleweight class, and Lombard is a big step up in opposition. Here’s the rub, though: So is Herman a big step up in competition for Lombard. Either Lombard could treat Herman as an appetizer to the main course, or he could, for the first time ever, find himself with a nostril full of smelling salts.

#Bellator 58 - Hector #Lombard TKO-2 Prangley

#Bellator - Hector Lombard vs Alexander Shlemenko

#MMA - #Bellator - Otro impresionante KO del cubano Lombard

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MMA: Cubano Lombard ira contra un hueso

Desde Baseball por Siempre

Lombard subira al octagono el dia 28.

Miércoles, 29 de Septiembre de 2010 16:57

Hola Amigos el próximo 28 de octubre,el matancero Héctor Lombard quien posee un record de 26-2-1subira de nuevo a los octógonos para defender su campeonato de peso medio en la compañía Bellator esta vez contra  Alexander "Tormenta" Shlemenko un rocoso peleador que tiene un impresionante record de 30-4. Mientras que muchos observadores pronostican mas de lo mismo sin embargo podemos decir que en este caso  Shlemenko es un luchador valiente, difícil considerado un gran striker que de seguro no sera como las anteriores peleas de Lombard en que ambos contendientes dieron muestras de una bajísima calidad competitiva, sin dudas que esta pelea esta levantando gran expectación. Solo agregar que este programa se transmitirá en vivo por Fox Sports Net a las 8:00 pm. Otro combate que se las trae de seguro un plato fuerte entre la sensación del momento en las MMA  Brock Lesnar (5-1) que de nuevo expondra su cinto esta vez contra el gran Caín Velasquez (8-0) este sera en el programa  UFC 121.con fecha 10 /23/ 10  y sera transmitido en Vivo en pay per View a las 22 h 0. Aqui un recopilacion de los mejores momentos del ruso Shlemenko: