When your name is on top of a list that includes names such as Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo and Georges St. Pierre you are doing something right in Mixed Martial Arts.

Hector Lombard (29-2-1) won his 23^rd fight in a row without a defeat at last night’s Bellator 44 in Atlantic City.  The win keeps Lombard atop the active unbeaten streaks among the current champions in MMA. With the win Lombard moved staggering nine wins above the next closest fighter in Anderson Silva who holds the #2 spot.

Active Unbeaten Streaks

Hector Lombard (Bellator MW) 23
Anderson Silva (UFC MW) 14
Jose Aldo (UFC FW) 12
Nick Diaz (Strikeforce WW) 10
Alistair Overeem (Strikeforce HW) 10
Georges St. Pierre (UFC WW) 9
Cain Velasquez (UFC HW) 9

The Bellator middleweight champion, who is also the current Cage Fighting Championship middleweight champion, took on the Hawaiian MMA veteran Falaniko Vitale last night. The bout was a non-title fight and marked the Cuban’s seventh fight under the Bellator banner.

Vitale held his own against Lombard, becoming only the fourth fighter to make it out of the opening round in the champ’s last 12 bouts.  Unfortunately for the X-1 middleweight champion the results were the same as a right hand from Lombard in the third round ended the fight abruptly. The big shot from Lombard dropped Vitale momentarily, but the veteran who holds wins over Matt Lindland and Yushin Okami instantly popped back up, just to fall back down as the referee stepped in to wave the fight over.

Vitale came into the fight with a solid game plan against the champ but with one punch power it only seemed like a matter of time before Lombard would connect. Up next for the champion is unclear other than he’ll have to defend his Bellator middleweight title following the season five middleweight tournament, set to begin later this year.  

Here is how the rest of the action at Bellator 44 finished:

MAIN CARD

Michael Chandler vs. Patricky ”Pitbull” Freire (lightweight-tourney final) – Michael Chandler by Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)

Champ Hector Lombard vs. Falaniko Vitale (non-title fight) – Hector Lombard by 3^rd round KO

Giedrius Karavackas vs. Sam Oropeza – Giedrius Karavackas by 3^rd round submission (arm lock)

Brett Cooper vs. Alexander Shlemenko – Alexander Shlemenko by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-28, 29-28)

PRELIMINARY CARD

Jamall Johnson vs. Randy Smith – Jamall Johnson by 2^nd round submission (rear naked choke)

Gemiyale Adkins vs. Jay Silva – Jay Silva by Unanimous Decision

Jeff Lentz vs. Anthony Leone – Jeff Lentz by Unanimous Decision

Hector Lombard Continues His Dominance At Bellator 44
Hector Lombard Continues His Dominance At Bellator 44