Lombard Pleads for Marquardt Matchup
Sherdog.com Staff Jul 11, 2011
Who
would win in a five-round, 185-pound fight in Bellator's cage:
Marquardt or Lombard? Tell us below.
Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard has wasted little time in requesting a fight against Nate Marquardt.
The UFC released Marquardt, a former title challenger, after he was not cleared to fight at UFC Live 4 on June 26 due to elevated testosterone levels. Bellator is reportedly interested in signing him.
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Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren has also called out Marquardt. On his Twitter account, Askren labeled Marquardt a “cheater” and invited him to Bellator.
“Ben Askren said it all,” Lombard echoed. “I think [Marquardt] is a
cheater, but [against] me, he can take all the drugs he wants. I’m
going to whoop his ass anyway.”
Although Marquardt had been scheduled to fight at 170 pounds against Rick Story at UFC Live 4, he has spent most of his career at 185. If he comes to Bellator, Lombard wants him at 185.
“I don’t see him making [170]. … He’s a natural 185,” Lombard said. “He’s been fighting at 185. At one point he was number two in the world at 185.”
Lombard claimed that Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney has already offered Marquardt an immediate middleweight title shot that he declined.
“There’s no excuses anymore,” Lombard said. “Don’t say you’ve got a contract with the UFC because he doesn’t have it. He can take the fight and prove everybody wrong.”
Lombard has a fantastic record, but outside of the UFC he has struggled to consistently face top competition.
“Nobody respects me at the moment,” he said. “That’s why I want to fight Nate Marquardt and show the people what I can do.”
He believes if Marquardt just says yes to the fight, it will come together. Until then, he plans on pushing and pushing some more for the matchup.
“Please, guys, help me out,” Lombard said. “Put the word out there and put the pressure on this guy to make the fight happen with me.”
Listen to the full interview (beginning at 1:07:02).
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