UFC News: Hector Lombard Has No Plans to Drop Down to Welterweight

Despite his new boss recommending that he drop from middleweight to welterweight, Bellator's former 185-pound champion, Hector Lombard, said he has no plans to fight at a new weight class. 

Lombard tweeted this morning:

"

I feel strong at 185 just because I had a bad fight does not mean that I am going to drop to 170

— Hector Lombard (@HectorLombard) July 23, 2012"

After coming into the UFC on the strength of a 25-fight unbeaten streak, "Lightning" lost a split decision to Tim "The Barbarian" Boetsch at UFC 149 in a lackluster affair that saw Lombard's trademark aggression completely absent. 

UFC president Dana White suggested Lombard test the waters at welterweight at the UFC 149 post-fight conference, since "he made 85 easy." 

The loss Saturday night was just the third of the former Olympic judoka's professional MMA career, which includes 36 fights. 

Boetsch has now won eight of his past nine bouts, including a 4-0 run at middleweight and back-to-back wins over former UFC title challenger Yushin Okami and Lombard.

However, given that Boetsch likely broke his foot during the course of the bout, his hopes of an eventual showdown with UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva have likely taken a back seat.