UFC 181 ended on an extremely contentious note. Robbie Lawler became the first team member of American Top Team to earn a UFC title, and much of the MMA community is questioning the validity of that victory.
With their second close fight to close out 2014 now in the books, the UFC could score big by booking a trilogy fight between these two men in 2015.
Hendricks and Lawler provided fight fans with two of the biggest moments of the year. UFC 171 and UFC 181 were two of the closest title fights in the sport this year. As a result of the bouts, both men have gained fans for their rousing performances.
Fans know that they will get a fight that is exciting in different ways each time these men face off within the Octagon. With that in mind, UFC President Dana White has already started leaning toward that third bout.
“The trilogy wouldn’t be a bad idea,” White said during the UFC 181 post-fight press conference, according to Mike Bohn and John Morgan of MMA Junkie.
If the action presented in their first two bouts is any indication, then White is 100 percent correct.
The UFC 171 fight ended with 308 significant strikes landed (via Fight Metric). UFC 181 closed out with 228 significant strikes landed but much more of a wider MMA offering, as Hendricks brought more out of his wrestling background (via Fight Metric).
The action in both fights went back and forth as the fight community was given the opportunity to see each competitor shine. They were the exact type of fights that build the fanbase for fighters at this level, and the UFC can capitalize by putting them together for the third time.
But what about Rory MacDonald? The Canadian fighter has made a strong string of performances and White seemed to indicate that MacDonald was in a position to receive a title shot.
“It’s pretty impossible to deny Rory that,” White told the Canadian Press in October. “Whoever comes out of that Hendricks-Lawler fight, [MacDonald] is the next guy in line.”
But that message changed during Saturday’s press conference, as White answered with “I have no idea” when questioned if MacDonald would still get the shot (via MMA Junkie). If MacDonald’s title shot is put on the back burner, the UFC should immediately move toward the third fight between Lawler and Hendricks with MacDonald getting a shot at the winner.
From a business standpoint, the third fight would strengthen what is already a strong slate of events to start 2015. According to Fight Parrot, UFC 171 ended with 300,000 PPV buys at a time when the UFC is struggling to keep steady above that rate.
The numbers for UFC 181 are still weeks away from being revealed, but if there is an increase, then booking the third fight would be justified further. Giving the two men 25 more minutes to work would benefit both their stock and the UFC brand as a whole.
Mixed martial arts has a few examples of rivalries that ended in trilogy bouts. Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler should be added to that list in 2015.
As UFC 181 came to a close it is clear that these two men have unfinished business when it comes to that welterweight title. The UFC would benefit and both fighters would grow if they’re given the opportunity to face each other once again.
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