UFC Fight Night 85’s Hector Lombard challenges Magny, questions MacDonald and Maia

Forgive UFC welterweight Hector Lombard if he’s not too excited by his next matchup; it’s got a lot of negatives jabbing at the positives.

This past fall, Lombard was widely expected to fight former title challenger Rory MacDonald at the conclusion of a one-year suspension for a failed steroid test. But without explanation, the matchup was withdrawn, which denied him a good opportunity to advance his career.

“I was supposed to fight Rory, and where is he at? He said he’s not ready,” Lombard recently told MMAjunkie Radio.

Then there was a potential matchup with former middleweight title challenger and welterweight standout Demian Maia. But that, too, seemed to slip through his fingers.

“I was supposed to fight Demian, and he just got out of the fight,” Lombard said. “But I was trying to get the fight with him.”

What’s a heavy-handed fighter to do? You can’t blame fighters for trying to avoid the concussions Lombard (34-4-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC) regularly deals out, but where does that leave him when it comes to getting those pivotal matchups that pave the way to a title shot?

In this case, it leads to a matchup with Neil Magny (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC), who’s as solid a fighter as anyone at 170 pounds and the owner of a seven-fight winning streak earlier in his career. The two meet up at UFC Fight Night 85.  The event, which is expected to air on FOX Sports 1, takes place on Sunday, March 20, at Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Australia, but airs on March 19 in North America due to the time difference.

Lombard holds Sydney as his adopted home after emigrating there from Cuba after the 2000 Olympics. Of course, fighting for his longtime fans is a welcome job, and the bout will no doubt offer a significant paycheck. But as far as what he expects to happen in the cage, he’s anticipating it with all the excitement of a DMV visit.

“I expect him to run, as usual – try to run away and try to use his reach,” he said.

Magny is about the polar opposite of Lombard in terms of style. A long and lanky fighter, he uses his reach to frustrate opponents at distance and then controls them against the cage and on the mat. Lombard doesn’t think he’ll have much of a chance to let his hands go, which is why he’s a little salty about the whole thing.

When it comes to the reaction the UFC might have to a lackluster bout, and concurrently, what that might mean for his career, he can only hope Magny takes a different approach this time around.

He’ll fight either way, but it would be better if he didn’t have to worry about being smothered.

“One thing that really pisses me off is these guys try to run and make the fight boring, and they just put it on me,” he said. “It’s a joke.

“He’s going to try to run and win by decision and make the fight boring. I just want him to bring it, but he’s not going to have the balls to bring it.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 85, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show, available on SiriusXM Ch. 93, is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.