Hector Lombard wants to earn headliner status at UFC 182

ADOPTED Aussie Hector Lombard has promised to upstage pound for pound champion Jon Jones at UFC 182 on January 3.

ADOPTED Australian Hector Lombard has vowed to make a statement in his UFC 182 bout with Josh Burkman, declaring his desire to be on the main event in Melbourne next year.

Lombard, who has signalled his intent to fight former champion Georges St-Pierre in a historic card at Etihad Stadium in November, said he will “steal the show” from headliners Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier on January 3.

“I want to do well and then fight in Australia, in Melbourne,” Lombard declared.

“I want to be the main event on the Victorian card. I will do anything it takes to impress the UFC and be the main event in Victoria, which is going to be huge.

“I’m an Australian Citizen, I fight for Australia, so to fight in front of my fans there would be huge.”

Hector Lombard has big plans for 2015.

Lombard’s welterweight bout will feature before the long-awaited Jones-Cormier grudge match.

Tensions have reached boiling point, with no love lost between the two heavyweights.

And Lombard is excited to be part of it.

“UFC 182 is going to be a huge event. Fighting in Las Vegas is huge for me and is very exciting,” Lombard said.

“To fight alongside the pound for pound best fighter in the world is amazing and that fight between Jones and Cormier will be amazing. I can’t wait.

“While they are the headline, I’m going to steal the show with my performance — you’ll see.”

Burkman, who has worked his way back to the UFC on the back of a 9-2 run, which included impressive wins over the likes of Jon Fitch and Aaron Simpson, said Lombard “should be worried”.

Lombard, on the other hand, seems unfazed.

“You cannot compare the level of Jake Shields to Josh Burkman — it’s a step down in competition, but he’s a big name and was doing well outside of the UFC,” Lombard said.

“At the end of the day, a fight’s a fight and anything can happen on the day.

“To be honest, I wasn’t surprised for this match up against Josh Burkman. Dana (White) and the UFC were trying to get a match for me, so as you know they signed Burkman because he was willing to fight me. That was the deal — you sign up and you have to fight Hector.”

Lombard hasn’t fought since defeating Jake Shields in March last year.

The No. 6 ranked contender, Lombard is edging closer to a title shot after winning three of his last four fights.

But “Showeather”, who fights out of Coconut Creek, Florida, said his focus is on solely on Burkman.

“Honestly, I don’t really care about the title. I just want to stay active and do what I love doing, and that’s fighting,” Lombard said.

“In 2015 I’d like to fight maybe four times. Before I used to fight 5-6 times in a year. I don’t want to sit around anymore waiting for something to happen. I’m here to fight anyone at my weight class.”

And that includes new champion Robbie Lawler.

“If I were the champion and Robbie was the challenger, he’d fight me for sure,” Lombard said.

“There’s nothing personal, but yeah it would happen. I love Robbie and we’re good mates, but yeah. While we’re both together at ATT we don’t train together — they gym here is huge, so we might have some same coaches, but we don’t spar each other.

“I would love to fight Rory (MacDonald) if he’s the next guy, but who knows what he wants and how long he waits. I’m here to fight anyone. My goal is to keep fighting and to fight in Melbourne next year.”

The Jon Jones-Daniel Cormier fight is one of the most anticipated bouts of 2015.

Originally published as Hector Lombard wants to earn headliner status at UFC 182