Lombard vs. Boetsch

This is the official discussion thread for Lombard vs. Boetsch. Let's see what you've got.

This is just as hard as picking the other two 149 main fights, but I think Lombard is likely better on the feet and ground.Both have great chins so I might change to a decision, man this is tough. Watched the 149 Countdown for all three fights, made me question all of my picks even more, I might end up changing them the hour before like a sissy, but to me this card is one of the harder UFC ones to pick in recent memory.

I really like Tim Boetsch, but I think that Lombard is just too technical and too strong for him. I really want Boetsch to win, but I think that Lombard is going to take this by decision, or late round TKO.

@mmapicker42: No doubt Lombard has finished most of his fights. Boetsch did too against non UFC competition early in his career. There's something to be said about handling the pressure of the big stage that is the UFC. Boetsch has been there and done that for several years. Lombard will be making his debut. Most fighters get a pretty easy fight when making there debut in the UFC. Lombard isn't getting that luxury. So my pick has nothing to do with the Okami fight. It has to do with the amount of times he's fought in the ufc against game opponents. He certainly hasn't lost to any hacks recently. I also don't have much of a clue about Lombard's jaw since he's never really been punched squarely in it. Remember, Forrest Griffin was supposed to have a tough chin going into the ufc until he faced stiffer competition, and we found out it wasnt so tough. Boetsch will most certainly do that a few times in this fight, and we will find out for sure. If you watch lombards fight videos you'll notice him charge in numerous times swing for the fences with his chin straight up. You cannot do this against a fighter like Boetsch who has a significant reach advantage. Boetsch has some pretty good wins himself in recent years against grove and nick ring. Say what you want about grove but he has fought and beat some tough ufc vets. Ring is also a very good technical striker. I don't know if prangley would be the best example of a victory for Lombard since he had lost 4 of 6 after that fight and is nearly 100 years old. Vitals isn't bad but he has a losing record in his six big promotion fights in the ufc, strike force, and ifl.

Going with Lombard :)

I like Boetsch a lot, but i just don't see him winning this fight.  

SgtBlack, you keep talking about Boetsch's power but he has not displayed the power he had in his first UFC run when he was 2-2 and back on the regional circuit.  He has gone the distance with Nick Ring, Kendall Grove and Todd Brown.  Grant it he did KO Okami but I don't see that translating into him KO'ing Lombard.  Lombard hasn't fought the stiffest of competition but his win over Schlemenko holds more with me than the victories Boetsch has in UFC as far as quality.  I think this is a good match-up but ultimately Lombard will be too explosive for The Barbarian.

@lopati: perhaps in my previous ridiculously long post my statements became a bit convoluted. I don't think Boetsch has tremendous power. Lombard definitely has more power in his punches. That's why I picked Boetsch by decision. I've just noticed Lombard leaves his chin out to be hit. Boetsch is willing to take a punch to give one, and while I don't expect him to KO Lombard, I do expect him to counter effectively and slow him down. The statement I made about Boetsch finishing most of his pre-ufc fights was simply to counter a previous statement by mmapicker in which he pointed out that Lombard has finished most of his fights. I'll believe in Lombard after he shows he can continue with that into the UFC.

@sgtblack79 Will we find out on Saturday won't we? =)

My prediction: Lombard spending 15 minutes on his back.

I've been back and forth on this one quite a bit think I will wait to see the weigh in stare down before I finally decide

* Edited at 07.19.2012, 11:50 AM ET *

Don't put too much stock into the staredown. John Jones always looks like he's nervous when he's getting mean mugged. Hasn't looked nervous in his fights though. If staredowns were important, Diego Sanchez would never lose a fight.

yeah but when I am back and forth on a pick sometimes just seeing them standing toe to toe helps me decide which way I want to pick

@mmapicker: Yessir, that's the glory of it all. Definitive proof of whose statements were more valid will clearly present itself in a few days. Unless, of course, they have that ridiculous referee from the Legacy Card who called the early stoppage to that Jay Heiron fight last weekend.

Man I can't wait for this one. Boetsch has a lot of heart and significantly upped his bad assedness after that last fight, and Lombard has that beastly explosiveness and power. Should be a war ;p

@poir420: I got ya. Its kinda like you don't realize how big Anderson Silva really is until you look at him standing face to face with his opponent

@Sgt its not even that. I picked Shaub to be beat Rothwell until I saw the weigh in and immediately swapped to tko round 1. That weigh in and staredown made me know Rothwell was gonna win :P

Sometimes a weigh in just lets you know :P

* Edited at 07.19.2012, 4:57 PM ET *

@russello: ok well I need to know about this magic stare down trick. I mean sure, you have some guys who just linked frightened, but odds are, nobody was picking that guy anyway. My buddy Noel, the one which just fought on the Legacy card, is always losing money to me in john Jones fights. For whatever reason, he's always picking against him ....probably because I give him 6-2 odds. Anyway, he's always telling me Jones looks nervous during the staredown, or at the press conference, etc. He says it doesn't look good for Jones, he looks too nervous. But then he utterly decimates his opponents. Don't get me wrong, I love some of these nutty stare downs...Wandi was always my favorite, but I've never been able to pick a fighter just by looking at it. You should pass your secret knowledge along to me please.....lol. Oh, and I picked Roth well in that fight simply because shaub is kind of a tool, much like Ryan Bader. I figure they are bound too lose most of there big time fights so the odds are in my favor if I always bet against them.

I want that hoodie Lombard was sporting. I think it would look good on me. 

Both guys have judo moves, I wanna see somebody get TOSSED!!

Have you seen the videos of Hector Lombard hitting the focus mitts and the poor kid can't even take it, his hands hurt I guess (duh) and he won't even stand in front of Lombard for more than 2 or 3 punches (should post a link but don't know if I'm allowed). Anyways since the thread started talking about judo I just wanted to ask a quick question. I have been wanting to go with my friend to bjj classes but I have a kid that's about to be 3, I'm in a one income household so I'm the only one working and I don't think I can afford it. Sorry for the story, anyways, I can take judo for like 1/3 of the price. Should I just start judo for now, I think I should, it's better than nothing. So will it be worth it? I don't have any formal experience with this stuff besides a couple of karate classes when I was little.