Having over twenty wins as a professional Mixed Martial Artist is an impressive feat. Having over one hundred bouts as a professional Mixed Martial Artist is also an impressive feat.
When you add those two together, however, you get a lopsided backwards record. Twenty-six victories and eighty-two defeats. This is the currently Shaun Lomas’ record according to Tapology.
When you fight as often as Lomas does there’s bound to be a few more wins and a few more losses. It’s hard to accurately record a career that spans back over a decade, especially when you consider that Lomas often fights multiple times a month.
The accuracy of his record is relatively unimportant, as it will likely change by the time this article is out.
What is important is the man himself, Lomas, and his role as the gatekeeper of Britain’s regional scene.
‘The Legend’ has been the first test in the careers of many prospects like Cage Warriors welterweight prospect Madars Fleminas as well as the UFC’s Danny Roberts.
He is more commonly matched against experienced fighters, often looking to break a losing streak.
Lomas is not a pushover, a victory against him isn’t hollow, this is why he is the perfect opponent for a fighter in a slump, sure they can destroy some guy with a record of no wins and twenty-something losses, but does that really mean anything? A win over Lomas means something.
Bellator signed fighter Lewis Long, faced him after his head kick defeat to Croatian KSW champion, Roberto Soldić. Ali Arish, a veteran of over thirty fights fought him after a two-year layoff following an unsuccessful Budo welterweight title bid against SBG’s ‘Honeybadger’, Philip Mulpeter.
All of these men who faced him defeated him. Two of the four finished him, both by rear-naked choke.
The reason he’s the ideal opponent for prospects and veterans alike is that it takes a good amount skill and decent fight I.Q to beat him.
One-hundred fights deep, it’s well established what Lomas does. He comes out, puts on the pressure with heavy two and three punch combinations and hammers in low kicks whenever his opponent sets his base down.
On the mat he’s a threat too, the Lucio Sergio purple belt is fond of an armbar when the opportunity arises and has also pulled off an Omaplata against fellow gatekeeping veteran David Round.
For those fighting Lomas the game-plan often goes something like this; maintain control of the distance on the feet, take Lomas to the ground as his takedown defence often fails him, and keep him there while staying tight and fighting off his sweep and submission attempts, then rinse and repeat over the three rounds of the fight.
Lomas is often passive on the bottom, waiting in half guard for opportunities that sometimes don’t arise, this is why that tactic is usually effective against him.
Lomas has had some notable victories. He has gone back and forth with fighters similar to him, with losing records despite a fair few wins, although his more impressive wins come against fighters that it seems he was set up to lose to.
One of his most impressive victories was against Dez Parker Who was looking to bounce back after losing to Cage Warriors veteran Matt Inman.
Lomas was coming off of a win against a credentialed heavyweight, Paul Taylor who retired after the first despite spending the round on top while Lomas held his bottom half guard looking to nullify the much bigger opponent.
The fight with Parker started off as expected, the younger fighter has some high-quality wins over some top welterweights such as Jack Grant and Perry Andre Goodwin.
Parker dominated Lomas in the first round, he was able to control him on the mat and almost finished Lomas with a rear-naked choke.
The second round came along and despite Lomas being the more visibly fatigued man, he was able to hip toss Parker and catch him with a straight arm lock from there. Lomas won the fight one and a half minutes into the second round.
Every now and then, in between his streaks of losses, Lomas pulls off an upset like this one, and it’s hard not to root for the guy who just keeps on coming back.
He may not hold a winning record, he may not boast the best technique, but for his grit and his willingness to move forward despite adversity, he has certainly earned his nickname; “The Legend”.
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