Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - In a seven year career that has seen him fight everyone from Tim Sylvia to Rashad Evans, Jason “The Punisher” Lambert has more often than not given up significant advantages in size to his opponents when the bell rings. But on Saturday, September 6th, Lambert – a former light heavyweight contender - will enter the Octagon as a middleweight for the first time to take on Canada’s Jason “Dooms” Day at UFC 88.
In a seven year career that has seen him fight everyone from Tim Sylvia to Rashad Evans, Jason “The Punisher” Lambert has more often than not given up significant advantages in size to his opponents when the bell rings. But on Saturday, September 6th, Lambert – a former light heavyweight contender - will enter the Octagon as a middleweight for the first time to take on Canada’s Jason “Dooms” Day at UFC 88.
“Day is a tough guy with good kickboxing and jiu jitsu,” said Lambert. “I think it's going to be a great fight and I'm looking forward to getting back in the Octagon.”
Fighting out of Carlsbad, California, Lambert (23-8) is a seven fight veteran of the UFC, going 4-3 in the organization. Among his wins are stoppages of Terry Martin, Branden Lee Hinkel, and Renato Sobral, with his only losses coming to 205-pound stalwarts Rashad Evans, Wilson Gouveia and Luiz Cane.
In Lethbridge, Alberta’s Day (17-6), Lambert will be taking on a well-rounded veteran who scored wins over UFC vets David Loiseau, Jonathan Goulet, and Ron Faircloth before making his Octagon debut in spectacular fashion with a first round TKO of Alan Belcher at UFC 83 in April. Now looking back to bounce back from a loss to Michael Bisping in June, Day is eager to get back into action.
“I think this is going to be a good fight for me,” said the 29-year old Day. “It (the fight) was totally unexpected, but the more I train for it the more I like it. I haven't been able to show much of my ability on the ground in the UFC yet and I plan on taking this fight there. I know Lambert is a ground and pound guy and so am I, so it has the potential to be an all-out war on the ground. I have been working hard on my ground for this fight and I want to show off my submission skills. He is not scared to stand with guys and if he tries to avoid my takedowns and keep it standing then I have no problem ending it on the feet.”
Tickets are on sale now for UFC 88: Breakthrough, which will be held at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
In the main event, former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck ‘The Iceman’ Liddell is back in action against unbeaten ‘Sugar’ Rashad Evans. Also on tap will be Rich Franklin’s return to light heavyweight against Matt Hamill, a middleweight battle between Nate Marquardt and Martin Kampmann, Dan Henderson vs Rousimar Palhares, and Karo Parisyan vs Yoshiyuki Yoshida.