Hector Lombard vs. Anthony Smith targeted for August UFC event

After ex-UFC champ Rashad Evans turned him down, Hector Lombard has a fight.

Lombard (34-5-1 MMA, 3-3 UFC) is targeted to meet Anthony Smith (27-12 MMA, 3-2 UFC) at a UFC event scheduled for Aug. 19, according to multiple people with knowledge of the booking, who requested anonymity because the fight has not yet been made public.

The event could serve as UFC 215, though it has not officially been confirmed. UFC President Dana White recently told the “UFC Unfiltered” podcast that Seattle could host, presumably at KeyArena where the promotion has previously visited.

In a conversation last month with MMAjunkie, Lombard vented about not being able to get a fight. He said ex-light heavyweight champ Rashad Evans (19-6-1 MMA, 14-6-1 UFC) had turned him down, and other opponents had yet to materialize.

Now, the former Bellator champ and UFC welterweight hopes to rebound after an 0-3 skid, with a win over Josh Burkman overturned due to a positive drug test. Lombard shrugged off a run at 170 pounds in favor of his longtime middleweight division, yet was unable to get in the win column after suffering a knockout loss to Dan Henderson and losing a decision to ex-welterweight champ Johny Hendricks in February.

For Smith, it’s a chance to solidify a recent surge in the octagon. In April, the MMA vet earned a dramatic comeback win by knocking out “The Ultimate Fighter 23” winner Andrew Sanchez with just over a minute left in their UFC on FOX 24 meeting in April. That built on a “Performance of the Night” win over Elvis Mutapcic at The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale.

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, visit the UFC Rumors section of the site.