The Doggy Bag: ‘The Five W’s’ Edition

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I am extremely excited about the UFC signing Hector Lombard and really giving 185 a shot of adrenaline. I am mostly curious who you think Joe Silva will match him up with first? I think Brian Stann would be a great choice and a really solid test for Lombard, plus it will help him get extra attention in his debut. I would also love to see him against Rousimar Palhares, if they didn't get into a brawl at weigh-ins. -- Tyler from Sydney

Chris Nelson, associate editor: I think you’d be hard-pressed to find someone not at least intrigued by the UFC signing Lombard, myself included. I’d go so far as to say it’s a good thing visa troubles kept the Cuban out of the Octagon back in 2007, because he’s a far more interesting (and much-needed) addition these days. Love him or hate him, anyone who’s been watching Lombard’s Bellator run over the past two years and wondering how he’d do against real top-flight competition will finally get their answer.

Since Lombard announced his move last week, I’ve heard all manner of suggestions for his first opponent, up to and including an immediate title shot at Anderson Silva. But should the UFC pit him against a ranked 185’er straight off? I’m not so sure. If he wasn’t currently serving a suspension, I’d actually suggest the first man “The Spider” faced in the UFC, Chris Leben. As it stands, I’d be into seeing Lombard debut against a mid-tier middleweight like, say, Jared Hamman, or maybe a rematch with Kyle Noke (though I’m not sure how you’d feel about the latter, Tyler).

Of course, it would be tough to really get mad at a Lombard-Stann matchup; as you say, it would be a stiff test for Mr. Shango and probably a good indicator of where he truly fits in the middleweight picture. Less telling would be a fight with Palhares, which I’ve also heard suggested several times, perhaps by fire hydrant enthusiasts.

But you touched on something which I think will be interesting to monitor as Lombard’s UFC career progresses: his temper. While Bellator has flashy production and is seen in around the world, it’s still not exactly the big show. If Lombard is going to thrive in and be marketed by the UFC, he’s going to have to get used to being asked questions by media which maybe he doesn’t entirely like. (Let’s not even get into his alleged spats with training partners.) With Zuffa now eying fighter behavior more closely than ever, it could be every bit as crucial as beating whoever he’s first matched against.