Scott Smith/Hector Lombard - Nov. 8th EliteXC Showtime

[Keithlewis]

Former EliteXC Middleweight Championship challenger Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith will make his return to the circular cage of EliteXC on November 8th, against a former Olympian in Judo, Cuba's Hector Lombard. The bout will finally mark Lombard's MMA debut on US soil, which has been stalled previously due to visa issues.

Smith lost his rematch to Robbie Lawler on CBS's second Saturday Night Fights card in July after their first contest in May, which many thought was headed towards instant classic status, was ended in the third round due to an inadvertant eye poke by Lawler. That fight was declared a No Contest.

Lombard, who signed with EliteXC over six months ago and will finally debut for the promotion, is currently the Cage Fighting Championships Middleweight Champion and is riding a six-fight winning streak and eleven-fight unbeaten streak. His last loss was to current DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix Champion Gegard Mousasi in PRIDE Bushido 13 in November of 2006.

The Lombard/Smith matchup will add to a card that already features Nick Diaz squaring off against Eddie Alvarez for the vacant EliteXC Lightweight Championship, as well as an EliteXC Middleweight Championship fight between champion Robbie Lawler and challenger Joe Villasenor.

EliteXC's November 8th card will be shown on Showtime, beginning at 10pm EST, and will take place at the Reno Events Center in Reno, NV.