LAS VEGAS—Dana White calls the moment Robbie Lawler first signed with the UFC 11 years ago a “Christmas present for myself.”
Back then, White was a huge fan of Lawler and his fighting style. And though Lawler washed out of the UFC after losing two consecutive fights to Nick Diaz and the late Evan Tanner, White remained a fan.
“The thing is about Robbie Lawler, I’m the one that brought him into the UFC,” White said. “When Robbie was younger, his thing was money. You know, ‘I want to fight for whoever is going to pay me the most money. I need money.’
“There were so many times that Robbie and I had talked over the years when he was fighting for other organizations where Robbie would call me and say ‘I want to come back and fight for you guys. I want to come back and fight for the UFC.’ I said ‘kid, it makes no sense. I’m not going to pay you what they are paying you. They need you over there, and they’re going to pay you whatever the hell they have to pay you to keep you.'”
No matter where Lawler went, White kept his eye on the welterweight. When Zuffa purchased Strikeforce in 2011, Lawler was back in the fold, though he wouldn’t return to the UFC until Strikeforce folded.
But Lawler has made the most of his second stint in the UFC. His victory over heavy favorite Rory MacDonald was his third in 2013, and Lawler—who was pretty much labeled as washed up before returning to the world’s largest MMA promotion—now finds himself on the cusp of title contention.
“He’s back in the UFC and he’s a completely different animal. It’s not even about money. He doesn’t even talk about money anymore. Now, it’s about winning that title,” White said. “He’s getting older now and he’s not this young, crazy kid anymore. He’s got a wife and he’s got kids. And now, it’s about taking a run at the title before this opportunity goes away. And he’s doing it, man. It’s very impressive.
“He’s a completely different person than he used to be. I’ve been a fan whether he was with us or with somebody else. I’m really happy for him.”
All quotes obtained first-hand.
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