UFC 149: Hector Lombard and the Most Anticipated UFC Debuts of the Last 5 Years

Tonight, Bellator Middleweight champion Hector Lombard makes his UFC debut. His 24-fight winning streak precedes him, and fans have been crossing their fingers in hopes of seeing the Cuban judo player step into the Octagon for years.

Now that he is here, we can look back on some more of the most anticipated debuts of the last five years. Which fighters were successful? Which fighters ended up being a bust? 

Here is a look back on the 20 most anticipated UFC debuts of the last five years. For your entertainment, I've included analysis on why each fighter was so hotly anticipated and how their debut fight went. 

Carlos Condit

The Hype:

Carlos Condit was the WEC Welterweight Champion when the UFC decided to merge all weight classes above lightweight. Condit had gone 5-0 in the WEC, winning each fight by stoppage. In addition, he defended his championship three times.

The Debut:

At UFC Fight Night 18, Condit made his debut in the main event against Danish striker Martin Kampmann. The battle was closely contested throughout which saw each fighter on the cusp of victory on multiple occasions. 

In the end, the judges leaned slightly in favor of Kampmann who would win a split-decision.

Verdict: 

Success! Condit has gone 5-0 since the debut against fighters who have all been in the UFC's top 10. Currently he is the reigning UFC Interim Welterweight Champion and will challenge Georges St. Pierre at the end of the year.

Jake Shields

The Hype: 

Shields found success everywhere that he went. After winning championships in Shooto, Rumble on the Rock, EliteXC and Strikeforce, Shields showed the world that he can compete with the best when he dominated Dan Henderson for four rounds in 2010.

The Debut:

At UFC 121, Shields met Martin Kampmann in his octagon debut. Kampmann had already played the role of spoiler when he started Carlos Condit's UFC career on a loss.

Shields and Kampmann grappled for the majority of their contest, and many believe that Kampmann should have come out on top of the bout. When the cards were read, Shields had done enough to win two rounds and take the fight.

Verdict: 

BUST! Shields has gone 2-2 in the UFC and has failed to defeat anyone in impressive fashion. His losses came to GSP and Jake Ellenberger, and his wins saw a controversial decision over Kampmann, and a lackluster performance against Yoshihiro Akiyama.

Shields is hoping to find success at Middleweight. He meets Ed Herman at UFC 150.

Nick Diaz

This one technically isn't a debut, as Nick Diaz had a 6-4 run in the UFC in the mid 2000's, however, his return to the organization was hugely anticipated, so I'll allow it.

The Hype: 

Diaz would leave the UFC in 2006 after winning back-to-back fights against Gleison Tibau and Josh Neer. He picked up wins over Takanori Gomi, Frank Shamrock and Hayato Sakurai. Additionally, Diaz would win the Strikeforce welterweight championship, and defend it three times.

After his departure, the Stockton Bad Boy would fight 13 times, losing only once during that time. The loss came via cuts in a bout with KJ Noons, and Diaz would avenge the loss under the Strikeforce banner in 2010. 

The Debut:

Originally slated to return against Georges St. Pierre, Diaz would find himself displaced from the matchup after failing to appear at a pair of press conferences for the UFC 137 event. Instead, he was placed against B.J. Penn in the event's main event.

Diaz would batter Penn during the second and third round. It was such a beating that an emotional Penn would retire in the post-fight interview.

Urijah Faber

The Hype:

As the longtime face of the WEC, Urijah Faber was a featherweight champion who was good looking, charismatic, and incredibly talented. In the later days of the WEC, Faber would go 3-3, so it looked as if his luster was fading, but with the addition of new weight classes in the UFC, fans everywhere were excited to finally see "The California Kid" on an event that didn't air on Versus.

The Debut:

Former bantamweight champion Eddie Wineland would welcome Faber to the UFC. While the bout didn't feature many memorable moments, the long-haired warrior from Team Alpha Male did enough to take a unanimous decision win.

Verdict:

Success! Faber is a safe bet for the UFC. If he wins, his star status remains enormous. If he loses, a new star is born in the bantamweight division. That's the kind of veteran who you want on the roster.

So far, Faber is 2-1 inside the Octagon, and he will fight for the title again on Saturday night against highly-regarded Renan Barao.

Glover Teixeira

The Hype:

Teixiera was a highly touted prospect back in 2006 after winning a trio of fights in the WEC. When visa issues blocked his transition to the UFC, it looked as if we would never get to see how good he is.

After getting the visa troubles behind him, Teixeira put together a 15-fight winning streak that included several notable names such as Ricco Rodriguez and Marvin Eastman.

The Debut:

In a one-sided beatdown, Teixeira completely dominated AKA fighter Kyle Kingsbury. The fight was so impressive, that it was aired three times through the UFC 146 broadcast.

Verdict:

Success! Teixeira was given a low-level opponent to kick things off, but was immediately offered a fight with Shogun Rua. Instead, the Pit's top prospect will square off against Rampage Jackson at UFC 153.

Brock Lesnar

The Hype:

Brock Lesnar was an NCAA champion before heading into a career with World Wrestling Entertainment. He chose to walk away from pro wrestling despite being a three time world champion and one of the most popular stars in the industry.

The Debut:

Lesnar met former UFC champion Frank Mir in his debut. With the help of a questionable standup from referee Steve Mazzagatti, Mir was able to benefit from a restart that allowed him to stop eating ground and pound. 

Shortly after, Mir was on his back again, but Lesnar was in a standing position. With Mir able to take advantage of a rookie mistake, Lesnar tapped to a kneebar 90 seconds into the fight.

Verdict:

Success! Lesnar would overcome the loss by winning four straight fights, and three consecutive title fights against Randy Couture, Frank Mir and Shane Carwin.

Although he dropped his last two fights to Cain Velasquez and Alistair Overeem, Lesnar was one of the biggest stars that the organization ever saw, and no former champion can be considered a failure. Except Tim Sylvia.

Takanori Gomi

The Hype:

Once known as the best lightweight in the world, Takanori Gomi was a Shooto and Pride lightweight champion. "The Fireball Kid" brought a stellar 31-5-1 record into the Octagon, along with the hopes of matching his previous success.

The Debut:

Debuting in the main event shows fans how important a new fighter is. Gomi's first battle in the UFC saw him headlining against Kenny Florian in 2010. After three rounds, Gomi would succumb to a rear-naked choke from the Ultimate Fighter runner-up.

Verdict:

Bust! Gomi should have come with a "buyer beware" sticker. Going 2-3 in the Octagon, Gomi has been submitted by Florian, Nate Diaz and Clay Guida.

Although his knockout over Tyson Griffin was absolutely gorgeous, it doesn't make up for the fact that The Fireball Kid came nowhere near the expectations that people had.

Jose Aldo

The Hype:

As the reigning WEC featherweight champion, the once defeated Aldo had just dominated Manny Gamburyan and Urijah Faber in his final title defenses before the organization shut down. 

After going 8-0 in the organization, Aldo had established himself as the best featherweight in the world and was already in discussions of pound-for-pound great.

The Debut:

Originally slated to fight Josh Grispi in his UFC debut, an injury postponed the fight and changed his opponent to Mark Hominick. The UFC 129 bout was a back and forth affair that nearly saw the champion dethroned late in the fight. 

Aldo held on through the ground and pound that he was receiving and would go on to win a unanimous decision.

Verdict:

Success! Aldo has since defended his belt another two times and is riding a 14-fight winning streak. Currently, the Brazilian is one of the top five pound-for-pound fighters in the world, regardless of which list you look at.

Rameau Sokoudjou

The Hype:

Despite a relatively young career, Sokoudjou exploded into the MMA scene by scoring first-round knockouts over PRIDE warriors Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona.

The win over Arona came on the final PRIDE card, so the African Assassin had a lot of momentum on his side when he debuted in the UFC late in 2007.

The Debut:

Few recognized the danger that Sokoudjou faced in his first UFC appearance. Meeting the unsung future-champion Lyoto Machida, Sokoudjou was submitted with an arm-triangle in the second round.

Verdict: 

Bust! Sokoudjou was released by the UFC after a 1-2 stint. Since his release, he has fought all over the world and gone 7-7 in that time.

Dan Henderson

Just like Nick Diaz, the return of Dan Henderson was so highly anticipated that he is worthy of a spot on this list.

The Hype:

Henderson looked to be in the twilight of his career after leaving the UFC and losing a middleweight title bout with Jake Shields. Instead, he moved back to light-heavyweight division, where he found success.

With wins over Babalu Sobral, Rafael Cavalcante and Fedor Emelianenko, Henderson captured the excitement of the MMA world. 

The Debut:

Henderson made his UFC return in a battle with Shogun Rua in the main event of UFC 139. The battle was an epic affair that is considered to be one of the greatest fights in UFC history.

Verdict:

Success! Henderson won one of the most exciting fights of all time and is next going to fight for the UFC light-heavyweight championship against Jon Jones.

Lil Nog

The Hype: 

Unlike his more famous brother, Lil Nog did not join the UFC roster when Zuffa purchased PRIDE. Instead, the fighter bounced around on the independent scene and won a pair of fights under the Affliction banner.

His final Affliction fight was a KO victory over Vladimir Matyushenko, the man who gave him his first professional loss. Avenging a loss makes his 17-3 record even more impressive.

The Debut:

Nogueira was paired off with the undefeated Luiz Cane in his Octagon debut. In an impressive display of his striking prowess, Lil Nog finished Cane in less than two minutes after some big punches.

Sure, Cane had lost a bout due to DQ, but it's hardly an example of someone ever beating him in the cage.

Verdict:

Mixed. Lil Nog has gone 3-2 in the octagon, and his losses came at the hands of hot prospects Ryan Bader and Phil Davis. Neither man was able to finish Nogueira, but the losses did slow his momentum quite a bit.

A December TKO over Tito Ortiz put Nogueira back on track, and he remains in the Top 10 of his division according to several publications.

Shogun Rua

The Hype:

Shogun Rua is one of the biggest stars in PRIDE history, going 12-1 in the organization, with a freak injury accounting for his only loss. He had won the 2005 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix, and simply didn't fight for the championship due to his close friendship with champion Wanderlei Silva.

The Debut:

Shogun's debut was a battle with Ultimate Fighter winner Forrest Griffin. Rua looked like he wasn't himself in the fight, as he was slower and gassed out before getting submitted by Griffin in the third round.

Verdict:

Success! Although Rua has put up a 4-4 record in the UFC, two of those losses came in controversial fashion. His loss to Lyoto Machida is considered to be one of the worst decisions in MMA history, and his loss to Dan Henderson came in a bout that many feel should have been a draw.

During his UFC tenure, Rua has knocked out Hall of Famers Chuck Liddell and Mark Coleman. He also knocked out Lyoto Machida to win the UFC light-heavyweight championship, and later avenged his loss to Forrest Griffin.

Kimbo Slice

The Hype:

Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson is the most famous street fighter this side of Chun Li. His backyard brawls became somewhat legendary through YouTube and other media websites.

Slice entered the MMA world in 2007 when he submitted former boxing champion Ray Mercer. Before entering the UFC on an Ultimate Fighter contract, Slice had gone 3-1 in his professional MMA career. 

The Debut:

Slice was a contestant on season 10 of TUF, and was paired off against tournament winner Roy Nelson in the first round. Slice would fall prey to a mounted crucifix. Despite not being rocked in the slightest, the fight was called off when Nelson continued to throw punches that Slice could not defend.

Verdict: 

BUST! Slice didn't look good in either of his post-TUF appearances, despite winning a catchweight bout with slugger Houston Alexander. He was released from the organization after a loss to Matt Mitrione at UFC 113. 

Anthony Pettis

The Hype:

Ben Henderson was supposed to come into the UFC as the WEC lightweight champion. That's just what was supposed to happen. Anthony Pettis was not interested in the status quo coming to fruition. When "Showtime" battled Henderson for the belt, he shocked the world by winning a unanimous decision that was highlighted by the infamous Showtime Kick.

The Debut:

The bottleneck at the top of the UFC lightweight division prevented Pettis from cashing in on his promised title shot with the winner of Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard. Showtime decided not to wait around for his shot at the belt, and instead faced Clay Guida in his UFC debut.

Guida was not interested in striking with Pettis, and he grinded out a decision win after a wrestling-centric bout that didn't provide the fireworks that the bout promised.

Verdict:

Bust! Pettis lost all of his momentum immediately because of the Guida bout, and he looked flat-footed in a split decision win over Jeremy Stephens last year. His only highlight is a head-kick knockout over Joe Lauzon earlier this year. 

If Showtime can put another pair of wins together, he can turn things around, but as of right now, Pettis has looked bad in two of his three UFC appearances.

James Toney

The Hype:

James Toney entering the UFC marked the first time that a world-champion boxer would fight in the biggest organization in the world. His credentials were tremendous, and the world would finally get to see how an elite boxer could do when forced to fight under MMA rules.

The Debut:

Toney would be given an opponent worthy of representing the sport of MMA, as Randy Couture is the man who stood across the cage. Couture quickly took Toney to the canvas, pounded on him for a bit, and then secured the win with an arm-triangle only three minutes into the first round.

Verdict: 

BUST! Toney's MMA tenure was a bust to say the least. He never fought again in any organization and is considered to be one of the biggest embarrassments to ever step into the Octagon.

Roy Nelson

The Hype:

Roy Nelson came into the UFC through The Ultimate Fighter, however, his MMA and grappling credentials preceded him. As a former IFL champion, Nelson had also bested former UFC champion Frank Mir in a grappling bout that made him somewhat of a legend on the independent circuit.

The Debut:

Although his opponent's hype would overshadow that of Nelson, "Big Country" soundly defeated Kimbo Slice in his first UFC bout on TUF.

Verdict:

Mixed. Nelson has gone 4-3 inside the Octagon, but his biggest win is a KO of Stefan Struve back in 2010. Each time Nelson has been given the opportunity to step up, he failed. Losses to Junior dos Santos, Frank Mir and Fabricio Werdum have set his career back tremendously.

Wanderlei Silva

Yes, yes. I keep listing fighters who have been in the UFC before. I'm a terrible person.

The Hype:

The winningest fighter in PRIDE history held the Middleweight championship for most of his tenure in that organization. Widely considered to be the best 205 pound fighter outside of the UFC.

His debut in the UFC was teased for some time before "The Axe Murderer" was able to actually step into the Octagon, but the hype had hardly died down.

The Debut:

In one of the greatest fights in UFC history, Silva faced off with Chuck Liddell in his promotional return at UFC 79. The battle was back and forth, but Silva would ultimately come up short on the judges scorecards.

Verdict:

BUST! It really hurts to call The Axe Murderer a bust, but it's impossible to think of him as a success. Going 3-5 since his return, Silva has been on the wrong end of two nasty knockouts and there have been calls for his retirement.

Since joining the UFC, the biggest win of Silva's career was a close decision win over Michael Bisping, but it hardly counteracts losses to Liddell, Rich Franklin, Chris Leben and Rampage Jackson.

Alistair Overeem

The Hype:

As the heavyweight champion of both Strikeforce and Dream, Alistair Overeem proved that he can compete with the best pure strikers in the world when he won the K-1 Grand Prix by knocking out Peter Aerts only 67 seconds into the tournament final.

Fans everywhere called for Overeem's addition to the UFC roster, and they would get their wish in December of 2011.

The Debut:

Squaring off against former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, Overeem would hardly be given an easy route to challenging for Junior dos Santo's title. 

Needing only half a round to dispatch of Lesnar, Overeem would dominate the former NCAA standout with knees to the body that earned him a TKO victory.

Verdict:

Too soon to tell. Overeem has not fought again since his debut due to a failed drug test prior to UFC 146. He hopes to return in December and reclaim his title shot, but we are not sure if Dana White is willing to allow "The Reem" to jump right back into the championship scene.

Hector Lombard

The Hype:

Hector Lombard has long been considered one of the hottest prospects outside of the UFC. Currently riding a winning streak of 24 fights, which includes seven UFC veterans like James Te Huna and Brian Ebersole. 

As the champion of the largest non-Zuffa organization in the world, there is quite a bit of interest to see how Lombard stacks up against the UFC's middleweight contenders.

The Debut:

The Bellator Middleweight champion has been calling out UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva for years. Tonight, he will get his chance to prove to the world that he wasn't just a big fish in a small pond. If he can get past surging contender Tim Boetsch, a title shot is likely.

Fedor Emelianenko

The Hype:

There is no question that Fedor Emelianenko is the biggest star that the UFC never got their hands on. Fans clamored for "The Last Emperor" to step inside the Octagon ever since the purchase of PRIDE.

The Debut:

It looked as if Emelianenko would be joining the UFC roster to face then-champion Brock Lesnar in the biggest fight in MMA history. Unfortunately, negotiations came to a screeching halt and Emelianenko never got to fight for the UFC.

Considering that Fedor retired last month after a first-round knockout of Pedro Rizzo, it seems like this is the one that got away.