Jake Shields on UFC 171 opponent: No one likes Hector Lombard

DALLAS – Jake Shields may generally be considered a mild-mannered welterweight contender, but he’s not pulling any punches when it comes to his opinion on UFC 171 opponent Hector Lombard.

“I’ve always thought Hector is a p–ck,” Shields told MMAjunkie. “Everybody kind of knows that.”

Shields’ trash talk isn’t without a bit of prior provocation. Lombard has gone out of his way to slam Shields’ grappling-heavy style, labeling the former Strikeforce champ as “boring” and even “bad for the sport.” On Saturday, Shields (29-6-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) and Lombard (33-4-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC) meet on the pay-per-view-broadcast main card of Saturday’s UFC 171 event, which takes place at Dallas’ American Airlines Center.

The bout has serious implications in the UFC’s welterweight division, with both savvy veterans boasting an impressive career record and past championship titles in smaller promotions. But with the back-and-forth discussion between the two in recent weeks, the fight has taken on a bit of a grudge-match feel, as well.

Shields isn’t backing down from his opinion on Lombard’s general demeanor, but he also said he won’t let his opponent’s attempts at riling his emotions affect his willingness to implement his signature gameplan.

“Hector is a huge power striker, so he probably wants me to come in and start trading shots with him,” Shields sad. “I think he’s trying to pull me into that game, but I know he’s got a lot of power, so I’m going to put him on his back and submit him.”

For more from Shields, check out the video above.

And for the latest on UFC 171, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.