UFC 171 results: Hector Lombard beats up, then cruises past Jake Shields

DALLAS – Judging by the way Hector Lombard charged out and dominated Jake Shields in the first few minutes of Round 1, it seemed like we were headed for a quick, violent finish.

But after mauling Shields in the early going, Lombard slowed down in later rounds and seemed content to coast to a unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).

The welterweight bout was part of the main card of today’s UFC 171 event at American Airlines Center in Dallas. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 2 and UFC Fight Pass.

Lombard had a clear strength advantage that he put to great use early on. Twice in the first round he tossed Shields to the mat like a rag doll, leaving Shields to pull guard and hold on as he awaited the end of the first.

But that ferocity faded quickly for Lombard, who slowed considerably in rounds two and three. By the end, Lombard looked content to rest in Shields’ guard, which nearly got him guillotine choked in the final seconds. Shields wasn’t quite that lucky, however, as the final horn sounded before he could pull off the comeback. It might not have been a spectacular win for Lombard, but was a clear one.

“I’m not very happy with my performance,” Lombard said. “A win is a win no matter what, but I just fought too safe. I blew him up with some big punches early and I felt dominant throughout. I could’ve given more in the third round.”

“Frankly, I’m embarrassed by my performance tonight,” Shields said. “Hector was really strong out there and he caught me with some big shots early. He paced himself and fought smart.”

Lombard (34-4-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC) has now won two in a row in the UFC. Shields (29-7-1 MMA, 4-3 UFC) loses for the first time since 2011.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 171 results include:

• Hector Lombard def. Jake Shields via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Ovince St. Preux def. Nikita Krylov via submission (Von Flue choke) – Round 1, 1:29
• Kelvin Gastelum def. Rick Story via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
• Jessica Andrade def. Raquel Pennington via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Dennis Bermudez def. Jimy Hettes via TKO (knee) – Round 3, 2:57
• Alex Garcia def. Sean Spencer via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Frank Trevino def. Renee Forte via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Justin Scoggins def. Will Campuzano via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Sean Strickland def. Robert McDaniel via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:33
• Robert Whiteford def. Daniel Pineda via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

For complete coverage of UFC 171, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

John Morgan and Steven Marrocco contributed to this report on-site in Dallas.