Robbie Lawler Capped Off A Historic Year At UFC 181
Robbie Lawler put the finishing touches on a journey that lasted over 13 years when he rode a late round surge to a title-sealing victory over Johny Hendricks in the main event of last Saturday’s (Dec., 6, 2014) UFC 181 pay-per-view (PPV) event from Las Vegas.
For the newly crowned welterweight champion, it was the culmination of all his hard work and perseverance. After the win, “Ruthless” acknowledged that while he would be remembered for that moment, all of his training partners, coaches, friends, and family played a huge part in his rise to the top.
At the end of the day, however, it was Lawler who put his body through one of the most grueling years the stacked UFC welterweight division has ever seen.
Lawler fought five bouts against top-ranked UFC welterweights in the span of one year and 20 days, an insane pace and schedule considering the absolute barrage of talent at the top of the 170-pound arena.
His insane streak began with a huge split decision win over the always-tough Rory MacDonald at UFC 167. “Ruthless” had MacDonald on the ground eating several shots, and the hard-fought win propelled him to a title shot against Hendricks at UFC 171 in March.
Lawler came up just short in his first title bid against “Bigg Rigg,” lighting the former champion up in the third and fourth rounds but succumbing to a late takedown that swayed the judges for Hendricks. Undeterred and uninjured, Lawler returned to the cage just over two months later to take on the formerly dangerous Jake Ellenberger.
The Bettendorf bruiser hurt “The Juggernaut’s” eye with a jab, followed up with a brutal knee, and that was all she wrote. Lawler earned a title eliminator bout with No. 5-ranked Matt Brown, who had previously won seven straights bouts, for his impressive efforts.
It turned out to be a war as advertised at July 26’s UFC on FOX 12, and Lawler emerged with his hand raised for his third victory in eight months; however, the best was yet to come. He put together a crowning achievement when he outlasted Hendricks at UFC 181.
Although many deemed the decision a robbery due to Hendricks’ wrestling control, closer examination of the bout reveals that it was Lawler who landed the more significant strikes.
Lawler’s good friend and training partner Matt Hughes, who put the belt around his waist on Saturday, proclaimed that Hendricks was trying too hard to win individual rounds with takedowns, and even “Bigg Rigg” admitted that he didn’t fight enough late in the bout.
True, Hendricks apparently had a tired or hurt Lawler on the ropes in the late second to third rounds, picking him apart with solid hook-uppercut combos ending with a vicious low kick. But he didn’t continue fighting like the “Bigg Rigg” of old did to get to a title shot, and Lawler capitalized with his late fifth round flurry that will go down in infamy.
It probably won him the fight, and it proved that his goal was to finish his opponent, which couldn’t have necessarily been said about Hendricks that night. He’ll most likely move on to a grudge match with Hendricks or a rematch with MacDonald, but no matter what happens in those fights, that event is Lawler’s forever.
It was his finest hour, and it completed his sort of Cinderella story in fitting fashion.
“Ruthless” only just returned to the octagon after nine years at UFC 157 in February 2013, starching Josh Koscheck in what was then a sizeable upset. After a lackluster 3-5 run in Strikeforce where his career appeared to be on a downward trend, he found a new home at American Top Team and reinvented himself as a calculating killer.
Although he didn’t win the belt in the most conventional way, he certainly traveled the most arduous path to do it.
For that, Lawler has earned his place on the UFC’s Top 10 pound-for-pound rankings list, and he’s also earned a much larger spot in UFC history.
Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
