UFC 189 Preview: Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald
Due to the hype and promotion given to the blockbuster main event of UFC 189, which is set for this Saturday (July 11, 2015) from Las Vegas, Nevada, the co-main event of the evening may be getting overlooked a tad bit.
In the co-main event, we have a rematch for the welterweight title as newly crowned 170-pound kingpin “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler attempts to defend his title for the very first time against Canadian superstar Rory “Red King” MacDonald. Lawler was able to secure a close split-decision victory in the first bout, but both fighters have evolved immensely since then.
Just like the main event, this seems to be a very close fight, and definitely a hard scrap to pick, but without further ado, check out the LowKickMMA Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald below:
Striking
This is without a doubt the champion’s strong point, and his nickname fits the bill as Lawler is absolutely ruthless on the feet. With 19 knockouts on his career, Lawler is extremely powerful, and also has a variety of attacks he likes to use including punches, kicks, and knees. Another key factor here is that the “Ruthless” one has a hell of a chin as shown in his wars with Johny Hendricks and Matt Brown.
Despite this being Lawler’s bright spot, MacDonald is also strong on the feet, and in my opinion a bit more technical and fluent. Coming from the famed Tristar Gym, the “Red King” is very well-rounded on the feet, and is very polished. He has some power of his own with seven career knockouts, and actually lands a slight bit more significant strikes per minute than the champion. However, due to the power and relentless of the “Ruthless” one, I have to give Lawler the slight advantage. 55-45 Lawler.
Takedowns
For the duration of his career, MacDonald has been deemed as the new breed of mixed martial arts (MMA), meaning that he is strong in all areas, and that is no different when talking about wrestling. Although he has no prior wrestling experience before MMA, the “Red King” lands 2.39 takedowns per bout as opposed to Lawler who lands less than one.
MacDonald also has exquisite takedown defense at 88.89%, while Lawler also has a solid defense rating at 65.98%. The “Ruthless” one has been able to face off with strong wrestlers, and still be victorious, but in this case, I feel as if the Canadian is the better wrestler. 60-40 MacDonald.
Submissions
Just like in the wrestling department, the submission department has to go the Canadian for me. MacDonald is a black belt in no-gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu, while Lawler has no formal ranking in jiu-jitsu. Lawler only has one submission victory to his credit, but the glaring factor for me here is that the “Ruthless” one has been submitted five times, and MacDonald owns six submission wins to zero submission losses.
At the end of the day, the “Red King” is simply the superior grappler. 60-40 MacDonald.
Although it may not seem as close on paper, Lawler is the champion for a reason, and he clearly has the chops to beat MacDonald as he has shown before. However, the “Red King” is ever improving, and one of the most well-rounded fighters in the sport, making this a very intriguing and unpredictable bout. Who are you picking to walk away with welterweight gold on fight night?
