After an improbable three-year run to the UFC welterweight title, longtime veteran Robbie Lawler’s reign at the top came to an end with just one punch when Tyron Woodley floored him to steal the belt in the main event of last night’s (Sat., July 30, 2016) UFC 201 from Philips Arena in Atlanta.
Many were quick to point the finger at Lawler’s long list of recent wars against top opposition like Carlos Condit and Rory MacDonald as a sign that his chin was crumbling before Woodley put the finishing touches on it, but speaking at the post-fight press conference (courtesy of MMA Junkie), “Ruthless” didn’t believe that is the case:
The fan favorite slugger wouldn’t look that deep into performance, instead focusing on the simple fact that you just get caught at the highest levels of MMA:
“It’s alright, he caught me with the ol’ T-Wood bomb. I was just sitting back a little too much, and he took advantage of it. It was his night.”
As for what he plans to do next, Lawler said he would relax with his family before having the UFC decide what direction his career would head:
“They’ll kinda decide that, but I’m going to sit back, spend some time with my family, and figure out what I’m doing next. But I’m sure Dana will decide on what’s next.”
Many, including No. 1-ranked UFC welterweight Stephen Thompson had also criticized Lawler for perhaps being too stationary, but Lawler said he made one small mistake and Woodley capitalized on it to the fullest:
“I don’t know if I sat in front of him too much. But I think maybe right at the end, he feinted and I reached with my hands, and he threw a punch over top and took advantage of an opportunity and he did a great job.”
Building on that stance, Lawler wouldn’t make any excuses for his loss. He said he felt great before the fight and again, just got rocked by one huge punch:
“No, I think it’s just a guy who took advantage of a big punch and rocked me and jumped on and finished the job. I’m not going to speculate. I felt great going into the fight, so no excuses.”
There was also the teammate dynamic that was heavily hyped up by the UFC leading up to the bout, but Lawler said that didn’t come into play when asked. “Ruthless” stood fast in his statement that he would have starched Woodley if so presented with the chance:
“No not at all, I’m a mean individual and this is what I dod for a living so I woulda had no problem doing the same to him.”
And even though he said he would let the UFC decide where his career went next, Lawler seemed to change his tune a bit when probed again. With two straight title defense and a legitimate case for being involved in the “Fight of the Year” in the past three years, “Ruthless” finally revealed that he believes he deserves a rematch for the championship:
“Obviously, I think that if I went back in there, I would get a win,” he said. “Deserve and getting are two different things, but yeah, I feel I deserve something. But we’ll see if I get it.”
Based on his recent body of work, it’s hard to argue with the “Ruthless” one there. But with Thompson waiting anxiously for a much-deserved shot and Woodley calling out either the returning Nick Diaz or the rumored-to-be-returning Georges St. Pierre for a big money fight, there could be quite the queue of contenders built up when Lawler returns to the octagon, making another title shot a far-off possibility right now.
No matter what, Lawler still sits high upon the rankings of one of the most talented divisions in all of MMA. If Woodley does fight Thompson next, Lawler could certainly square off with Diaz, as the two have a built-in rematch angle from their historic bout in 2004 where Diaz knocked Lawler out.
If Woodley faces Diaz (or even GSP), Lawler could face Thompson in the bout “Wonderboy” was hoping would be contested for the title after last night.
And in that fight, we could truly find out if there’s any merits to those claiming Lawler’s iron chin is finally starting to fade.
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