UFC's Hector Lombard: 'Let's Cut the Bullshit' About Fight vs. Anderson Silva

Hector Lombard isn't happy that he's being overlooked for a shot at the UFC Middleweight Championship, and he's calling out every title contender.

During an interview with News.com.au, "Lightning" Lombard essentially called out every top 185-pounder in the division, stating that he wants to leave no guess to who should really getting the next crack at the MMA pound-for-pound kingpin:

"

I just don't want to fight guys that they say: "[Oh,] that was [an] easy match-up for him." I want to fight the hardest match-up. I wish they (the UFC) could go now and make a pool of the toughest guys at 84kg that no one wants to fight and I want to fight that guy.

Not many people want to fight Palhares. Before we had the fight people were saying: "Hector is gone, Phalares [sic] is taking Hector's leg back to Brazil." I would like to fight Chris Weidman, he's a big name. I've been asking for (Yushin) Okami, I've been asking for Okami but they (UFC) won't give him to me because of his chin. Okami has no chin, he can't cop the punches. And where's Jake Shields? He's been around forever, he beat Dan Henderson. Those are the guys I want to fight.

"

Originally, the UFC seemed to be angling Lombard towards title contention after a high-profile contract signing that brought the Cuban-Australian fighter up from Bellator's own middleweight division.

But despite a long reign with Bellator's middleweight title, three regional MMA titles, an extremely decorated Judo background and a gaudy 32-3-1 record (with one "No Contest"), a past upset to loss Tim Boetsch took away much of Lombard's steam.

However, Lombard says that the UFC just won't give him Anderson Silva, despite his hyped arrival into the promotion and dominant 25-1-1 stretch over nearly six years:

"

Let's cut the bullshit, let's be honest, they won't give me Anderson Silva. We have to be realistic and talk about things that might happen.

I've got to take one fight at a time and one-by-one I can take them out and by the end of the year people are going to say he deserves the title shot. I want it to just be my hard work. I want people to say that no one deserves the title more than him.

"

Future plans aside, Lombard will have the chance to improve his 1-1 UFC record when he faces Yushin Okami during the main card of UFC on Fuel 8, taking place on March 3 at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan.

That fight will support a heavy card of matches, including a main-event bout between Wanderlei Silva and Brian Stann.