Former WEC middleweight champion, Paulo Filho will have a chance to win one more title in his career. TATAME.com learned from several sources that the black belt will face Bellator tournament champion Hector Lombard at May 20.
Lombard has fought 18 straight fights without a loss, but Filho would be his biggest challenge since dropping a decision to Gegard Mousasi in 2006. Lombard dominated the first season of Bellator, winning with three TKO stoppages including a brutal display against finalist Jared Hess.
Filho will need to show up in the right mindset for this fight to really have any meaning through. After starting his career 16-0 and looking as dominant as almost anyone else in the sport Filho's career started to take some sad turns. A scheduled rematch with Chael Sonnen for FIlho's WEC title was canceled as Paulo checked in to a rehab center and was also battling depression. Several months later the rematch was on and Filho spent the majority of the fight not attempting anything offensive and by the final round was looking around the cage and appeared to be seeing/hearing things that were not really there.
Following the WEC stint Filho went to DREAM where he gave an inspired performance in armbarring Melvin Manhoef in the first round only to then not show up for his scheduled fight at DREAM.12 which was again linked to substance abuse. The Brazilian began fighting for Bitetti Combat where he picked up two wins before withdrawing due to personal problems, deciding to go ahead with the fight anyway, and then not showing up for the weigh ins.
Despite all this turbulence, Filho is sitting on an 18-1 record with the only loss coming when he was seemingly out of his mind against Chael Sonnen.
A fight between Hector Lombard and a healthy Paulo Filho could be a really meaningful and great fight. Let's hope for the best.
There has been no date announced for the bout.
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