For Strikeforce fighter “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (19-6) fighting isn’t about championship belts, it’s about winning and losing, and the meaning it has for him personally.
Lawler is set to face Matt Lindland on December 4th at the upcoming Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu II event, which takes place at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Miss.
“Ruthless” recently spoke about defending his title on December 4th, and when he was asked to explain what that meant, this is what he had to say.
It’s MY title. Winning and losing is important to any athlete. If a fighter gets extra motivation just because they’re fighting for a belt…that’s not how I operate. It doesn’t matter what I’m doing, whether its playing cards or fighting…I’m always looking to win. It’s just a way of life. I am a competitor. So I’m going to do everything I possibly can to win.
Lawler is 1-2 in his past three fights, all under the Strikeforce banner. He lost a unanimous decision to Renato “Babalu” Sobral last June fighting at a catchweight of 195 lbs. Previous to that he earned a spectacular knock out over Melvin Manhoef at last January’s Strikeforce Miami event, and was submitted by Jake Shields in a 182 lb catchweight fight in June of 2009.
Lindland sports a 1-2 record also but earned a victory in his last fight defeating Kevin Casey by TKO at a Strikeforce Challengers event in May. His losses, both from 2009, were to Ronaldo Souza by submission last December in his Strikeforce debut, and to Vitor Belfort by first round KO at the Affliction: Day of Reckoning event.
You can read more of Lawler’s comments by checking out the full interview at Strikeforce.com.