Lombard deserves a top 5 opponent and Burkman deserves to be in the UFC
First off, just being willing to fight a guy like Hector Lombard in your first fight back deserves some recognition. Lombard showed some great game planing and fight IQ in his victory. Knowing Josh can be crafty and thrives in the chaos he fought a very calculated fight. He didn’t stall either. Hector to an extent was reminiscent of Chris Weidman. He didn’t lung, and he didn’t chase, he continually stalked and walked down his opponent. He was the harder hitter and had the faster hands, but he was the bigger fighter and susceptible to late fight fatigue. He conserved his energy well, and tried to finish the fight, Josh just has a great chin. Burkman may have thrown a bigger variety of strikes but Lombard’s were more effective. Well timed leg kicks and well placed upper cuts continually left Josh hurt, and guessing what was coming next. There are really only two options for his next opponent, Matt Brown or Rory MacDonald. Neither have opponents and both are ranked in the top five. Each one would answer a different question. With Matt Brown we could learn how Lombard deals with pressure and with MacDonald we would learn how he handles an articulate and methodical striker. Realistically he is one big win away from a title shot. Josh lost, that was clear, but he held his own. He may have taken some big shots from Lomabard, but he landed his own as well. He got up from the bottom of a high level grappler. He has a chin and a big heart and those are two things that can’t be practiced or taught. With a lesser ranked opponent Burkman could shine. Gunnar Nelson and Jake Ellenburger are both just outside of the top 10 and coming off loses as well. either would be a good test for Josh. Burkman is a UFC caliber fighter just not part of the elite. This may sound mean, but he probably never will be. That doesn’t mean he should reitre, not everyone can be a champion, that’s what makes them special.
