Robbie Lawler Retains Title In Classic With Carlos Condit
“I can’t sit down.”
Those were the words Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) commentator Joe Rogan said after witnessing a welterweight classic between Robbie Lawler (27-10) and Carlos Condit (30-9) at UFC 195.
At the end of the night, Lawler barely left Las Vegas with his title.
Lawler looked to pressure the challenger in the beginning of the fight. Condit dropped the champion with an uppercut. “Ruthless” recovered, but ate a knee to the body. “The Natural Born Killer” connected with a kick to the body. The horn sounded and round one was complete.
A kick to the body found a home for Lawler. The champion dropped Condit with a huge right hand. Condit was able to return to his feet. “Ruthless” landed a counter right hand. Lawler landed an uppercut as Condit charged in and the round was over.
The challenger used kicks to keep Lawler at bay. Lawler landed a right hand. A knee to the chin found the mark for Condit. “The Natural Born Killer” walked into an elbow. Blood started to leak from the nose of Condit. Lawler caught the leg of his opponent and connected with a leg kick. A couple of knees to the body connected for Condit.
Round four began and Condit threw a right hand. A knee to the body landed for Condit, but he also ate a punch. The Jackson-Winkeljohn fighter continued to use kicks to create distance. He dropped the champion with an inside leg kick. A knee to the body found the target for “The Natural Born Killer.” Condit tagged the champion and landed punches, kicks, and knees as Lawler’s back was against the fence. Lawler survived the round.
The two met at the center of the Octagon for the final round. Lawler went head hunting as Condit ducked under. A right hand found the mark for the champion. A left hand connected for Condit. A right hand landed for “The Natural Born Killer.” Lawler tagged Condit with a left hand that had him wobbled. Condit stood up and landed punches while still using head movement. The two continued to trade shots until the final horn sounded.
Two of the three judges felt Lawler did enough to retain his title.
Final Result: Robbie Lawler def. Carlos Condit via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47)
