The UFC, over the past month, has been plagued with injuries. We’ve seen high-profile fighters such as, Jon Fitch, Thiago Alves, and Dominick Cruz all pull out of their impending bouts due to injuries sustained in training. Michael Bisping is the next name to be added to that list.
In a sense, Michael Bisping’s injury was well timed. Hector Lombard needed a credible opponent after Brian Stann, his original opponent, injured his shoulder and was forced to withdraw from the bout. With Michael Bisping unable to compete as well, it made perfect sense for the UFC to match up Hector Lombard with Tim Boetsch.
Tim Boetsch revived his career back in 2011 when he dropped down from Light Heavyweight to Middleweight. At Light Heavyweight, Tim Boetsch served as a formidable gate-keeper, but it’s apparent that at Middleweight he is a force to be reckoned with. Since his change of weight classes, Boetsch has gone undefeated. He smashed Kendall Grove and Nick Ring, and in his most recent fight he pulled off an epic come-from-behind win over perennial contender, Yushin Okami. In many people’s eyes, Tim Boetsch is a win or two away from a title shot.
There’s a lot of hype behind the debuting Hector Lombard. He has gone undefeated in his last 25 fights, and 20 of those fights have ended via stoppage. He has also been Bellator’s Middleweight champion since 2006. However, the level of competition he has been facing hasn’t been great, so it will be interesting to see how he fares against Boetsch.
If Hector Lombard does defeat Tim Boetsch in an impressive manner, I would not be surprised if the UFC fast-tracked him to compete for the title against the winner of the Anderson Silva/Chael Sonnen fight. Hector Lombard versus Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch is scheduled to take place at UFC 149 in Calgary on July 21.
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