Former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler is getting back into the Octagon against a very interesting opponent.
After putting the brakes on a four-fight losing streak when he made Nick Diaz quit at UFC 266 in September, many wondered who former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler would step into the Octagon with next. We now have the answer to that, and the bout has the potential to steal the show. At UFC 276 on July 2nd, Lawler will face off with Bryan Barberena.
Barberena took to Instagram to announce the bout himself:
Lawler (29-15, 1 NC, 14-9 UFC), who is now 40 years old, hasn’t fought very often over the last few years, but his win over Diaz in a special attraction five-rounder showed that he still has it. That bout took place at middleweight, but he will return to the welterweight division for this one.
Barberena (17-8, 8-6 UFC) has picked up two wins in a row, with the last coming in a fabulously violent bout with Matt Brown in March. That win earned him a fourth UFC fight of the night bonus.
UFC 276 will go down at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The card does not yet have a main event, but it has been rumored that Israel Adesanya will be defending his middleweight title against Jared Cannonier on top of that show. The show will also be the culmination of the 10th annual International Fight Week.