8. Tim Boetsch Surprises Hector Lombard
Lombard was a regional star in Australia and had competed in Pride Fighting Championships before signing with Bellator MMA. The American Top Team rep rose to the top of the organization quickly, leaving a swath of destruction in his path. He was soon regarded as the No. 1 fighter not under contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, though most believed it was only a matter of time. When the Cuban judoka’s Bellator deal expired, the UFC swooped in. MMA fans were force fed a bottomless buffet of pro-Lombard propaganda as he approached his Octagon debut opposite Boetsch at UFC 149 on July 21, 2012 in Calgary, Alberta.
Boetsch was known for his toughness and brute strength, and he had wins over Kendall Grove and Yushin Okami on his resume. Still, Lombard was expected to bulldoze “The Barbarian” at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Instead, Lombard lacked his usual aggression and wound up on the wrong side of a split decision against the Lincolnville, Maine, native, the defeat snapping his 20-fight winning streak. The former Bellator champion has gone 3-1 since but has yet to develop into the killing machine the UFC believed it had signed, and a year-long suspension that resulted from a positive test for anabolic steroids did Lombard no favors.
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