Filthy Tom Lawlor did not disappoint today at the UFC 154 Open Workouts from the New City Gas bar and night club in Montreal.
Lawlor is known for his mauling fighting style and his entertaining creativity at workouts and when he enters the cage.
Today, he came out wearing the traditional Sumo diaper, and proceeded to put on a Sumo exhibition with his two training partners. One of them, former UFC fighter Seth Petruzelli was solely credited with the idea.
“Actually Seth Petruzelli was the inspiration for it, it was all his idea so if there is any bad backlash I want it directed solely at him,” Lawlor stated.
Despite being pushed and prodded a bit by the media, Lawlor would not tip his hand at what’s in store come his entrance on Saturday night.
“I’ll have some sort of a walkout, but I can’t tell anyone that now. I can’t give away the secrets, I can’t show the goods.”
He did tip his hat a bit, or did he?
“It won’t have anything to do with Canadians. Well most of it. Well, kind of, maybe it will. Nah it won’t have anything to do with Canadians.”
All jokes aside, Lawlor is set to take on French fighter Francis Carmont, who lives in Montreal and trains at the prestigious Tristar gym.
Lawlor has fought three Canadian fighters in his last four fights, knocking off two of them, Jason MacDonald and Patrick Cote.
Carmont is not a Canadian citizen, but the country has adopted him since he moved here to train a couple of years ago.
I asked Lawlor myself if he is trying to pick off our best one by one, and after a brief debate as to why Carmont is considered a Canuck, Lawlor confessed he asked for this one, but he has nothing against Canadians at all.
“Actually I did ask for this fight. There was a list of names I gave them and he was one of them, you know he’s on a really good win streak, it has nothing to do with him being Canadian. I love the Canadian fans, I love Canadian bacon, I love it all, I love Tim Horton’s more than anything.”
Lawlor‘s fighting style fits his nickname to a tee, as he stays in tight, smothers your offense and makes the fight as “filthy” as he can as his blueprint to victory.
He is an in your face fighter, and a well deserved step up in competition for Carmont.
If Lawlor can work Carmont like he worked the diaper in the workouts, Carmont will be in for a tough night.
Dwight Wakabayashi is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA and guest blogger for Sportsnet.ca UFC. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand.
Catch him on Facebook and Twitter @wakafightermma.
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