Yushin Okami vs Hector Lombard
by Dr. Octagon, J.D.
So the UFC is showing their middleweight rankings. They have Chael Sonnen as the 9th-ranked contender (which is really the tenth-best fighter).
So they cut their #9 welterweight (Jon Fitch), but the #9 middleweight gets a light heavyweight title shot. They should have a disclaimer: rankings are only for entertainment purposes and are in no way related to what fighters we cut and which we give title shots.
Let’s hope Hector Lombard wins this one because I do not want to see another three rounds of top control. It will all depend on whether Lombard can get an early knockout via blitzkrieg. As we’ve seen in his fight against Tim Boetsch, Yushin Okami is vulnerable to the blitzkreig. Live updates after the jump:[[MORE]]
Round 1: Lombard is swinging for the motherfucking fences. He lands a bodyshot. Lombard kicks, Okami catches the leg and puts Lombard on his back. Lombard just powers back up to the feet and gets some separation. Lombard lands a right. Okami lands a jab. Okami lands a kick. Lombard lands a big right. Lombard landed an uppercut there.
Big hematoma on Okami’s head. Okami ducks down and completes a takedown. Okami isn’t doing much so far, but he’s probably tiring down the muscular Lombard. Lombard powers back up. Okami pushes Lombard against the cage and works knees.
Round 2: Okami is pumping the jab. Lombard just sort of holding his hands up and not walking forward. Okami throws a knee. Okami is using his reach advantage so far. Lombard needs to close the distance. Okami lands a left on Lombard. Okami picking away at Lombard with the jab.
Lombard lands a punch. Lombard looks really tired already. Not active at all, like in his fight against Boetsch. Lombard lands a shot to the body. Okami shoots the single and he puts Lombard down. Okami working the ground and pound. Okami grabs the neck, pulls his leg through, and is now in full mount with about forty seconds left. He postures up and just misses a big elbow.
Round 3: Here comes Lombard, who needs to get the knockout before he lands on his back. Lombard swarms with punches and Okami is hurting, but Lombard is tried. Lombard lands a jab. Lombard lands a big left, then shots to the body. Okami lands a knee.
Okami shoots and Lombard decides that he wants to get on top of him with four minutes left to go. Lombard isn’t doing shit. He should just stand up and go for the knockout again. Okami is trying for a single leg and Lombard is puching him in the head. Lombard is on Okami’s back, but Okami has his leg, so he isn’t really doing anything. Lombard is a fucking idiot. He got separation and he’s now in Okami’s guard with two minutes left to work.
Lombard says he’s going to let Okami up and then grabs him when he stands up. The fighters are clinched. They separate. Okami shoots and Lombard is back on top with a minute left. If I was in his corner, I would be begging Lombard to stand up. You’re losing, you’re tired and you’re not going to knock out Yushin Okami from inside his guard. Okami is just holding on and waiting for the round to end.
29-28 for Okami (twice) and one judge has it 29-28 for Lombard.
Lombard is now 1-2 in the UFC and has proved to be a one-dimensional fighter. A strong, sloppy striker with bad cardio that doesn’t really have the foggiest idea what to do when he is on the ground, yet he doesn’t mind spending an entire round on the ground despite being down two rounds to zero.
Basically if Lombard isn’t able to immediately steamroll a fighter, he has trouble. Okami’s a great fighter and everything, and I’m not trying to take anything away from him, but I would have liked to have seen what would have happened in that third round if Lombard kept it on the feet.