Robbie Lawler will reportedly defend his UFC welterweight title against Carlos Condit at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
According to Dave Doyle of MMAFighting.com, his colleague, Ariel Helwani, announced the fight on UFC Tonight on Wednesday, the two will square off for the belt at the November 14 showpiece in a bout that is likely to top the billing. As noted in the piece, the venue for the event still remains undecided.
Nonetheless, the prospect of Lawler and Condit going toe-to-toe has triggered plenty excitement among MMA fans. MMAJunkie’s Mike Bohn is expecting a pulsating showdown between these two entertaining fighters:
If it’s half as good as Lawler’s last fight, we’ll be in for a treat. That win came against Rory MacDonald at UFC 189 in one of the most amazing showdowns the sport has seen. Lawler showcased his championship credentials in earnest in that encounter, knocking out his opponent in the fifth round, despite arguably trailing 3-1 on the scorecards.
As noted by MMA expert RJ Clifford, Lawler has been involved in some punishing recent battles inside the Octagon:
Condit is a fighter who is also synonymous with gripping spectacles and stunning finishes. He returned to action in May to beat Thiago Alves in Brazil, securing the 30th win of his distinguished career; as Doyle’s piece notes, 28 of those have come inside the scheduled distance.
Needless to say, MMA journalist Mike Chiappetta is excited by the prospect of these two squaring off:
Lawler will be the big favourite to retain his belt, and although Condit was too strong for Alves last time out, going up against the champion will be the biggest test of his recuperation after his recent ACL injury. The victor will likely face the winner of Johny Hendricks and Tyron Woodley, who will fight at UFC 192 in Houston, per Thomas Gerbasi of the official UFC website.
Often when two daring fighters square off, the match doesn’t quite live up to the billing. But given the sparkling reputation these two men have, which has been forged further by their recent fights, it’s hard to see how Lawler-Condit can possibly disappoint the UFC fans Down Under and around the world.
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