In terms of pure entertainment value, UFC 167 arguably fell just short of the standard set by UFC 166. Then again, The Godfather 2 was marginally inferior to The Godfather, but that doesn’t make the former any less of a masterpiece.
No, last night’s 20th anniversary show was everything we could have hoped for, boasting terrific action from top to bottom.
Donald Cerrone put in a career-best performance against Evan Dunham, Tyron Woodley served notice to the welterweight division with a first round knockout of Josh Koscheck and Rick Story stained Brian Ebersole’s “hairrow” blood red.
But the evening’s most compelling bouts could be found right at the top of the card.
Fight of the Night was awarded to the main event between Georges St-Pierre and Johny Hendricks, but Robbie Lawler’s career-defining performance against Rory MacDonald perhaps stole the show.
The bout started slowly, with the pair sizing each other up for most of the first round, and neither prepared to overcommit.
The second round was much more compelling. MacDonald began to fight with a greater sense of urgency, which lead to some terrific exchanges both on the ground and standing up.
However, the contest was brought to life in the third round. Lawler came out for the final frame like a man possessed, hunting down the young Canadian as though his continued existence hinged on whether MacDonald remained conscious.
It was a shocking sight to behold, the heir apparent being battered and bullied by a fighter who could scarcely earn a win in Strikeforce.
Landing a barrage of vicious hooks and uppercuts to the increasingly swollen face of Rory MacDonald, Lawler reminded us of how shocking MMA can be and why we love it so much.
But despite his recent success, few really gave Lawler much of a chance against MacDonald. The 24-year-old was too hungry, too new-school to be troubled by a man who many thought had peaked in the mid-noughties.
Some felt that UFC 167 was set up perfectly for Georges St-Pierre to pass the torch to his young teammate. If the former Pat Miletich protégée received a copy of the script, he engaged in some script-doctoring that would have made Joss Whedon proud.
It wouldn’t be accurate to call it “vintage Robbie Lawler.” In truth, the 31-year-old has never looked this good. Even when he was starching opponents left and right, he was never this good.
No, this is a new and improved Lawler. As Dana White pointed out at the post-fight press conference, he’s a different animal these days.
Georges St-Pierre and Johny Hendricks will grab the lion’s share of the headlines over the next few days, but Robbie Lawler’s show-stealing performance was memorable for all the right reasons.
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