Robbie Lawler will defend his UFC welterweight title against Rory MacDonald July 11 at UFC 189, according to UFC President Dana White.
White announced the news Wednesday during a press conference in Las Vegas that aired live on UFC Fight Pass and FOX Sports 1.
This fight against MacDonald will mark Lawler‘s first attempt at defending the UFC strap. He won the title at UFC 181, taking a split-decision victory over then-champion Johny Hendricks in a rematch of their UFC 171 classic, which Hendricks won via unanimous decision.
Against MacDonald, Lawler finds himself in another rematch. The 170-pound champ previously defeated the Canadian MacDonald at UFC 167 via split decision.
Since that time, Lawler has gone 3-1 under the UFC banner, losing only to Hendricks.
Similarly, MacDonald has looked sensational since dropping that bout. He’s undefeated in his last three fights, with his most recent victory coming via TKO over Tarec Saffiedine at UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs. Saffiedine in October 2014.
After that fight against Saffiedine, MacDonald was briefly scheduled to face Hector Lombard in an apparent No. 1-contender’s bout at UFC 186, but Lombard was pulled from the fight after failing a drug test for the anabolic steroid desoxymethyltestosterone, per MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani.
In the wake of Lombard’s drug-test failure, MacDonald is rewarded with a chance at gold.
While he already lost to Lawler once, that bout was competitive, and there’s no doubt that the 25-year-old Tristar Gym standout is constantly evolving and polishing his game. He looks better each time he steps into the Octagon, and it’s likely many will favor him in the rematch with the current champ.
With this news, UFC 189 is shaping up to be an absolute must-buy event.
Lawler vs. MacDonald joins a featherweight title fight between Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor on the July 11 card, a one-two punch at the top of the event that is sure to generate significant buzz and excitement.
In fight cards with two title fights, typically the heavier weight class receives top billing.
At UFC 189, however, Aldo vs. McGregor will serve as the main event, with Lawler vs. MacDonald taking co-main event honors, according to a report from the UFC relayed by Helwani:
Who do you favor in this welterweight showdown? Personally, I think MacDonald keeps his distance, picks his shots and works in a few takedowns to avenge his earlier defeat and take a unanimous decision.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com