It took five rounds of brawling with Matt Brown, but Robbie Lawler eventually emerged as the top contender in the welterweight division on Saturday in San Jose, California, at UFC on Fox 12.
Earning a unanimous nod on the scorecards, Lawler has earned the first shot at dethroning newly crowned 170-pound champion Johny Hendricks.
Hendricks won the welterweight belt in March with a decision victory over the UFC on Fox 12 main event winner, but Lawler has beaten Brown and Jake Ellenberger since then to strengthen his position as the top contender in the weight class.
Brown came into the weekend with seven straight wins. While his streak came to an end against Lawler, The Immortal proved he belongs in the Octagon with elite welterweights by staying very competitive in his first bout with a current Top Five UFC welterweight adversary.
With another UFC event in the books, here are the matchups that should be next for Lawler, Brown and the rest of the UFC on Fox 12 competitors.