Hector Lombard announces move back to middleweight after loss to Neil Magny

Last week was the last straw.

Hector Lombard has been very open about his dislike for cutting to welterweight. And after a loss to Neil Magny at UFC Fight Night 85 on March 19 in Australia, he won't be doing it anymore.

Lombard announced Sunday on social media that he would be moving back up to middleweight, the weight in which he won the Bellator title and debuted in the UFC. The Cuban judoka with heavy hands said the lack of ability to use an IV to rehydrate (new to the UFC in the USADA era) played a major part.

"I asked my body to perform, but I got no reply," Lombard wrote on Instagram. "When your body says no and stops functioning there is nothing you can do about it."

Moving up in weight has been something of a trend, especially since USADA was brought on board by the UFC. Two of Lombard's teammates at American Top Team, Dustin Poirier and Jorge Masvidal, have had great success in moving up to lightweight and welterweight, respectively. Lombard (34-5-1, 2 NC) has always said he felt more comfortable at 185.

"I'm very happy to be back fighting at my original weight 185," Lombard wrote.
"Now with no IV allowed, I will be able to fight in a healthier weight for me."

Lombard went 31-2-1 (1 NC) while fighting most of his career at middleweight. He won the Bellator title at 185 in 2009. In the UFC, Lombard made his debut at middleweight and fell to Tim Boetsch. He knocked out Rousimar Palhares in his next fight and then lost to Yushin Okami, prompting the move down. Lombard stands just 5-foot-9, shorter than most middleweights in the UFC.

Lombard, 38, went 2-1 with a no contest as a welterweight in the UFC. The no contest was a win against Josh Burkman last year, but Lombard tested positive for steroids in a drug test in relation to that bout and it was overturned. Lombard was one of the top welterweights in the world during his run.