UFC 202’s Magny to Woodley: Don’t hold up the belt

Neil Magny (18-4) returns to action this Saturday, versus Lorenz Larkin (17-5), in UFC 202’s featured Fight Pass prelim. The 7th ranked UFC welterweight last appeared in a UFC cage back in March, when he battered Hector Lombard en route to a stoppage victory at UFC Fight Night 85. For most fighters, five months between fights is nothing new, but for Magny – who fought five times in both 2015 and 2014 – such a layoff was highly unusual.

Magny’s time away from fighting wasn’t due to injury or matchmaking. The former Illinois National Guardsman was actually kept busy with a tour of US military bases in Japan. Magny, who spent seven years in the military, visited seven bases in three weeks – teaching seminars and doing meet-and-greets.

Against Hector Lombard, I took some pretty heavy shots and it was probably beneficial for me to go and take at least a month off.

On his return to the United States Magny jumped immediately back into training. Though he he had a lot of fun in Japan, Magny stated that there was something unexpected regarding that trip that he is truly grateful for. “It forced me to take a rest,” Magny told Bloody Elbow. “Against Hector Lombard, I took some pretty heavy shots and it was probably beneficial for me to go and take at least a month off of training, and let my brain recover as much as possible, before I got back to any heavy training or sparring.”

Magny versus Lombard was a wild affair that saw Magny almost finished in the opening seconds, before he recovered and then dominated Lombard for the remainder of the contest. The third round TKO earned Magny a Performance of the Night bonus, but Magny knows full well how close he came to losing that battle. “The first thing I thought was, damn, he hits hard,” laughed Magny as he reminisced about the opening flurry that sent him reeling to the canvas. “After that, it was just pretty much survival. I was trying to clinch up when I could, even when I was knocked down I was trying to not just lay there on my back, but scramble into a guard or half-guard position, where I was able to recover and take control of the fight.”

Magny’s control of the fight grew throughout the second round – culminating in a mount of Lombard and a raining of blows against no resistance whatsoever. Shockingly, referee Steve Percival decided not to grant any mercy to Lombard – who received over forty straight shots to the side of the head before the round ended. It was uncomfortable to watch. It was also uncomfortable to do.

I was like, oh my God, this fight is over, he’s not fighting back, he’s not defending himself, he has no chance at this point and the ref kinda let it keep going and for me, it just got uncomfortable.

“That was definitely a tough feeling,” said Magny. “I mean, I was punching the guy and it got to the point where I was like, oh my God – this fight is over, he’s not fighting back, he’s not defending himself, he has no chance at this point, and the ref kinda let it keep going, and for me, it just got uncomfortable.” Magny half-suggested that after experiencing the strange non-stoppage at the end of round two, and Lombard’s wobbliness in round three, he searched for a more humane alternative for ending the fight (a takedown and submission).

However, fears for Lombard’s long-term health was not the only reason he wanted to get the former Olympic judoka on the ground. “The guy does have a lot of power,” said Magny. “You back him up to the cage and he could very well end the fight …

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