Shields' coach: Trash-talk works on 'emotionally and mentally weak' fighters like Lombard

DALLAS – Jake Shields‘ (29-6-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) head coach, Tareq Azim, said the trash-talk Hector Lombard (33-4-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has used ahead of their UFC 171 fight only works on a certain type of fighter: “emotionally and mentally weak” ones like Lombard.

The fighters, who meet in a pay-per-view main card bout at Saturday’s event in Dallas’ American Airlines Center, could possibly be vying for a title shot with an impressive enough performance. But prior to their meeting, Lombard has called Shields “boring” and bad for the sport, among other things.

That may work on unprofessional fighters, Azim said.

“But someone like Jake, a professional of the sport and a veteran of the sport, that amateur talk only sticks to someone like him (Lombard),” he said.

Check out the full conversation above as Azim also argues Shields’ case for deserving a title shot if victorious on Saturday.

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