Hector Lombard has once again challenged Mamed Khalidov: “This is the fight I’ve wanted for years.”

Although it has been three years since Hector Lombard’s last MMA fight, the Cuban has not given up on his dream of a high-profile bout. The former UFC fighter admitted that he would still like to face Mamed Khalidov, for whom he has had enormous respect for years.

Just a dozen or so years ago, Lombard was considered one of the most spectacular fighters outside the UFC. In Bellator, he built an impressive 8-0 record, knocking out as many as seven opponents. His move to the world’s largest MMA organization was supposed to mark the beginning of his title run, but reality turned out to be quite different. Ultimately, the Cuban ended his UFC career with a record of 3 wins, 8 losses, and one fight ruled a “No Contest,” failing to live up to the expectations placed on him.

The former UFC fighter revisited the topic of his bout with Mamed

Despite being 48 years old, Hector Lombard remains active in combat sports. In recent years, he has competed in various formats, though we haven’t seen him in the MMA cage since 2022. That doesn’t stop him from thinking about fights against the biggest names, though.

In an interview with Bartosz Oles, editor-in-chief of Polish Fighters, Lombard admitted that he has long been hoping for the chance to face off against Mamed Khalidov.

– We’ve wanted this fight for a long time. Just to be clear, I have nothing but respect for this guy. He’s been the face of KSW for years. I respect him, but I’d definitely like to face him.

As the Cuban revealed, the topic of this matchup had already been raised during talks with KSW officials. However, the negotiations ended in failure, with financial issues playing a decisive role.

“ They wouldn’t even pay me a third of what Khalidov was getting, ” Lombard admitted. “ I believe this is a fight that would sell out the entire arena. I just want to beat the crap out of him.”

Although Lombard is a well-known name in the world of MMA, it’s hard to expect that his participation alone would guarantee massive interest in the event in Poland. The biggest draw of this lineup is, of course, Mamed Khalidov, who has been drawing crowds of fans to their screens and into the stands for years.

For now, however, it is difficult to predict whether such a matchup will ever take place. Following his recent loss to Paweł Pawlak, Khalidov’s future remains unclear, and the fighter himself has not yet revealed his plans for the rest of his career.