Former UFC fighter and former Bellator MMA Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard has signed a multi-fight deal with the Bare Knuckle FC promotion.
Lombard, who had an abysmal run in the UFC, is the latest in a string of past their prime UFC fighters to have signed with Bare Knuckle FC. Lombard joins such luminaries as Gabriel Gonzaga, Wanderlei Silva and Antonio Silva as someone who has recently jumped to bare knuckle fighting.
Bare Knuckle FC issued the following on the signing:
Hector Lombard signs with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship
Former Olympian and UFC standout Hector Lombard has become the latest fighter to sign with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) as he looks to make his mark in the biggest and best bare knuckle fights that the sport has to offer.
Lombard is the first-ever Olympian to sign with BKFC, having represented Cuba in judo in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
"I've wanted to fight for this amazing organization for a while and I'm excited that it's all come together," said Lombard, who will compete in the 185-pound light heavyweight division.
"Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship is the next level of fighting and I am glad to be part of it."
"Hector Lombard is one of the most devastating punchers in MMA history and we are looking for Hector to make a huge splash with BKFC," said BKFC founder and president David Feldman. "As a fan, I cannot wait to see how Hector does in the squared circle. He's exciting and explosive. This is an incredible signing."
Lombard also holds the distinction of being the first Bellator champion to sign with BKFC. He was the inaugural Bellator middleweight champion, winning the title in 2009. Lombard went 8 - 0 in Bellator with seven finishes, including a six-second knockout of UFC veteran Jay Silva in May of 2010.
Lombard relinquished the Bellator middleweight championship in 2012, when he moved to the UFC. In the UFC, Lombard fought a total of 12 times, recording notable knockout wins against Rousimar Palhares and Nate Marquardt.
In his professional MMA career, Lombard tallied 34 wins, 22 of which have come by knockout or TKO. He is regarded as one of the hardest punching middleweights and welterweights in MMA history.
Lombard is from Cuba and moved to Australia after the 2000 Summer Olympics. He now lives in Florida.
