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Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler 2: Latest Twitter Hype Before UFC 181

Just hours ahead of one of the biggest rematches in UFC welterweight history, the chatter from both Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler is heating up. The champion seems confident, yet aware that a significant challenge and threat to his title is at hand…

Taking Nothing for Granted

It all starts with preparation. Both fighters obviously work hard, but Hendricks has taken a special approach since he became champion.

Per the UFC’s Twitter account, Hendricks said this:

Training is something that Hendricks has always prided himself on, but there are two factors to consider heading into Saturday’s bout.

Hendricks missed weight initially for the first fight but came back and made it under the 170-pound limit on his second try. He’ll have to be careful to make sure he’s where he needs to be to prevent another late weight cut.

Also, Hendricks is coming off surgery to repair a torn bicep. There is a question as to how that injury might have impacted his training and conditioning. If this bout goes five rounds like the first one did, that conditioning will be put to the test.

Thrilling Sequel?

The champion has seemingly guaranteed the rematch will be just as thrilling as the first fight.

If that’s the case, we might be looking at a strong candidate for Fight of the Year. Besides the two men’s first encounter, we haven’t seen a ton of memorable fights in 2014 as compared to years past.

If Lawler-Hendricks 2 can produce fireworks, it could be mentioned in the same breath as the first fight, as well as Matt Brown-Erick Silva from UFC Fight Night 40.

GSP Don’t Want None of This

When Hendricks and Lawler engaged in their epic battle, it was for the title vacated by Georges St-Pierre. Hendricks seemed to have beaten GSP when they met in Nov. 2013. Instead, GSP escaped with a controversial split-decision victory and his title.

There have been rumblings about a GSP comeback since he left. Hendricks wants GSP to know that if he did return, he’s got something waiting for him. Per MMA Geek, Hendricks said:

There’s definitely some unfinished business there. While many believe Hendricks won the first fight, in the official records, it reads a loss.

Keeping it Simple

Lawler wants to stand and strike.

That’s his game and everyone knows it. He has to make sure his takedown defense is in order against opponents who excel in that area. I’d say he’s done a pretty good job of it considering his last three opponents are 6-for-21 in takedown attempts against him.

This used to be one of Lawler’s primary weaknesses. What’s changed in The Ruthless One’s game?

His evolution from a 20-year-old in the UFC to the complete fighter he is today is one of the more fascinating stories in sport’s history. He’s faced just about everyone there is of note in his weight region over his 12-year career.

Now he has as good a chance as he’ll ever have to capture UFC gold.

Stats per FightMetric.com

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.

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Hendricks vs. Lawler 2: Latest Comments and Predictions for UFC 181

UFC 181 is one of the most highly anticipated pay-per-views of the year, and the main event will feature defending welterweight champion Johny Hendricks squaring off against Robbie Lawler for the second time this year.
Hendricks and Lawler fought in Ma…

Hendricks and Lawler fought in March for the vacant UFC Welterweight Championship, and Hendricks won the fight via unanimous decision, earning the Fight of the Night award in the process.

Now fans are ready for the rematch.

Here is the full fight card with predictions and the latest comments from both main event fighters.

Breaking Down the Main Event

The battle between Hendricks and Lawler will be the rematch many fans didn’t expect to get this fast. After winning the title, it was revealed that the champion had torn his biceps before the fight and underwent surgery following the event.

With Hendricks on the shelf, Lawler took the loss as another wake-up call and ran through his competition. He beat Jake Ellenberger via TKO in May and followed it up with a unanimous decision win over Matt Brown in July.

Some fighters who win world titles become complacent, but Hendricks has fought Lawler before and understands the caliber of competition he is squaring off against.

Hendricks hasn’t shown any semblance of taking for granted his status as champion, and he told Andreas Hale of Sherdog.com about his approach to title fights:

This whole process I haven’t looked at myself as the champion. This is a fight and as soon as you sign that bout agreement, you are fighting for a belt that’s in the middle and belongs to nobody. I don’t get to take my past fights into this one. As soon as you start believing your own hype, it’s time to retire.

As much as Hendricks appreciates his spot in the UFC, Lawler left the company before and understands what he was missing. As he told Duane Finley of UFC.com that he will do whatever it takes to remain an elite athlete at the top level:

I’m excited to be fighting in the UFC and competing on the sport’s biggest stage again. This is just my time and everything has gone great. I’m excited to be here and I’m excited to be a mixed martial artist. That has shown in my fights and that is going to show again in this one.

I don’t think there was a period where I wasn’t excited to be training and be a mixed martial artist. I think it was more about whatever circumstances I was in at the time. Things just weren’t clicking on all cylinders I guess and we’ll just leave it at that.

While Hendricks can rely on his wrestling skills to make this a ground-and-pound showcase, he understands what puts fans in the seats. He spoke to Hale about his mindset coming into the rematch with Lawler:

I want to be exciting. There’s many ways to make money in the UFC. How many people are around today because they put on great fights? As soon as they step into that Octagon they’re fighting. That’s my reputation and that’s what I want to do: finish fights and keep fans on the edge of their seats.

The hope from most MMA fans is that Saturday’s fight resembles the first battle between these two men. If Hendricks and Lawler stand toe-to-toe in the middle of the Octagon, the ensuing slugfest will be a battle that could easily win Fight of the Night honors again.

Lawler deserves immense credit for contending with Hendricks in the first fight, but the champion is too good to lose his title at UFC 181. Both men will bring their best. But as seen in Hendricks’ fight against Georges St-Pierre, the champion is a physical freak.

Using a mixture of elite wrestling, powerful striking and overall ring awareness, Hendricks will steal the show once again and successfully defend the welterweight title.

Predicted Winner: Hendricks via fourth-round TKO

*Stats via UFC.com.

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Catch the ‘UFC 181: Hendricks vs. Lawler II’ Weigh-Ins LIVE Right Here Starting at 7 p.m. EST

Johny Hendricks, Anthony Pettis, and the rest of the 22 fighters scheduled to compete on tomorrow’s UFC 181: Hendricks vs. Lawler II card are set to hit the scales any minute now, so join us after the jump for live updates, results, and a depressing look into the mind of the average UFC fan via #UFCYoutubeComments.

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
-Johny Hendricks (170) vs. Robbie Lawler (170)
-Anthony Pettis (154.5) vs. Gilbert Melendez (155)
-Travis Browne (243) vs. Brendan Schaub (244)
-Todd Duffee (256) vs. Anthony Hamilton (236.5)
-Tony Ferguson (156) vs. Abel Trujillo (156)

PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1, 8 p.m. ET)
-Urijah Faber (135) vs. Francisco Rivera (135.5)
-Eddie Gordon (185.5) vs. Josh Samman (185.5)
-Corey Anderson (204.5) vs. Justin Jones (204.5)
-Ashlee Evans-Smith (135.5) vs. Raquel Pennington (136)

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 7 p.m. ET)
-Matt Hobar (136) vs. Sergio Pettis (135)
-Clay Collard (146) vs. Alex White (145.5)

–J.Jones

Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler 2: Full Preview, Predictions for UFC 181 Card

If UFC welterweight champion Johny “Bigg Rigg” Hendricks’ rematch with “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler is half as good as their first bout, the Mandalay Bay will be rocking on Saturday night in Las Vegas. In March, Hendricks narrowly defeated Lawler via unanimous decision after the two engaged in a slugfest that is one of the most memorable title fights in UFC history.

Hendricks has been on the shelf recuperating from surgery to repair a torn bicep. This will be his first fight back. What a welcome.

Lawler hasn’t taken a moment off since he almost dethroned Hendricks almost nine months ago. He’s defeated Jake Ellenberger and Matt Brown and is prepared for his fourth fight of the year. He sounds like a confident man.

This one should be good.

That’s just one of the world title fights on tap for Saturday. UFC lightweight champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis will make his return to the Octagon and defend his belt for the first time.

Opposing him will be Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez. Pettis took the title from Benson Henderson in Aug. 2013, but a knee injury has kept him out of action since. Melendez is one of the most skilled lightweights in the world.

This will be his second attempt at the 155-pound crown. He lost a close decision to Henderson in April 2013. After a savage battle with Diego Sanchez, El Nino is in position to fight for a title again. It’ll be hard for the fight to be as awesome as this image from Gian Galang.

With two champions returning and defending their titles against formidable foes, UFC 181 is a must for any MMA fan. Here are my predictions for every fight on tap. Just below the table is a deeper look at the top three bouts on the card.

Hapa Will Handle Big Brown

After the one-sided beating he took from Fabricio Werdum in April, Travis Browne may want to think twice about climbing the heavyweight ladder again. Werdum is now the interim heavyweight champion, and a win over Schaub would put Browne right back in line to face Werdum again.

Against most heavyweights, Browne looks like an overwhelming force of athleticism and vicious striking prowess. I predict he’ll be true to that form against Schaub. Big Brown has always looked the part of a potential contender but has always underwhelmed me—even when he wins.

He was robbed in his last bout against Andrei Arlovski, but this one isn’t going to the judges.

Browne will prove who the biggest Browne in the Octagon is on Saturday night. His three-inch height advantage and improved takedown defense will keep the fight standing. Werdum baffled Browne because he was able to vary his attacks as a striker and pick his spots to go to the ground.

Schaub’s game isn’t as deep. He’ll need to take Browne down, but as Josh Barnett found out, that’s easier said than done when the big man from Hawaii knows that’s what his opponent is trying to do.

Hapa is lethal in the clinch with some of the best elbows in the heavyweight division. On the strength of those shots, Browne will stop Schaub en route to a victory.

Pettis Is Too Athletic for Melendez

Unless there’s a significant dropoff in Pettis‘ movement and athleticism after the injury, he’ll pick Melendez apart and submit him late to retain his title.

From a speed and dexterity standpoint, Pettis is on a different level. He’s able to strike in a variety of effective and unorthodox ways. He keeps opponents guessing and is just as apt to land a head kick as he is to snap on a triangle choke or armbar.

If you think about all of the ways Pettis has finished opponents in his career—and the caliber of the foes—it’s really impressive. The head kick that defeated Joe Lauzon, the kick to Donald Cerrone’s midsection and the armbar that won him the title are examples of Pettis‘ diverse attack.

For most opponents, Melendez’s rock solid striking and almost as impressive grappling would allow him to be a real threat. Against Pettis, he’ll be beaten to the punch most of the fight. When he’s fatigued and hurt late, Pettis will pounce for the submission finish.

Lawler Will Break Hendricks in Rematch

There’s some logic that could suggest Hendricks will be the fresher fighter heading into his rematch with Lawler. It makes sense. Hendricks hasn’t fought since March, and Lawler just beat Brown in another grueling five-round fight in July.

Even with the rounds piling up on Lawler in 2014, he has the rhythm, concentration and an edge in confidence. Almost everyone Hendricks has ever hit with his heavy hands has gone away literally or figuratively. The latter is a hat tip to Georges St-Pierre.

Despite landing hard shots on Lawler, the Ruthless One stood his ground and gave the punishment back to him. Were it not for a late takedown, Lawler might very well be the welterweight champion.

Both men know how close the first fight was, but something tells me that they also know Lawler is the tougher fighter. Hendricks is going to have to do his best to take Lawler down early. When he can’t do that, it’ll be another war of attrition in the stand-up game, and this time Lawler will get the best of the deal.

Look for Lawler to take a unanimous decision and Hendricks’ title.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.

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UFC 181: Can Robbie Lawler Do Enough to Win Rounds 6 Through 10?

Five minutes flies by in a flash, at least in most contexts. It’s the length of time it takes to heat a standard microwave dinner.
Five minutes is fleeting. Five minutes is transitory. What’s five minutes?
But for UFC challenger Robbie Lawler, five min…

Five minutes flies by in a flash, at least in most contexts. It’s the length of time it takes to heat a standard microwave dinner.

Five minutes is fleeting. Five minutes is transitory. What’s five minutes?

But for UFC challenger Robbie Lawler, five minutes on March 15, 2014 was ultimately unforgettable.

For four rounds at UFC 171, Lawler—in the midst of an inexplicable and improbable comeback after seemingly falling right off the MMA map—battled Johny Hendricks in thrilling even-Steven fashion. On every scorecard, the two were even going into the final frame.

Lawler, in no uncertain terms, didn’t get the job done.

With 300 seconds separating him from fulfilling what once seemed like his destiny, he simply stopped performing. When it mattered most, it was Hendricks—after taking a drubbing in Round 4—who picked himself up and earned a shiny gold belt. He joined the immortals.

Lawler did what he’s done throughout his career—he failed to rise to the occasion when the stakes were at their highest.

“Johny is a competitor and Johny knows how to win,” Lawler told UFC.com’s Duane Finley. “That’s what I need to do. I need to figure out a way to win rounds and dominate the fight so that it’s my hand that is raised at the end. I worked on a lot of things since our first fight and I’m physically and mentally ready to go. I’m coming in fully ready to dominate.”

It’s become a pattern in Lawler‘s career. Every time he reaches a turning point, that moment that could send him careening toward a new level of success and glory, he can’t quite pull it off.

It happened first against Pete Spratt way back at UFC 42, a three-fight winning streak stopped in its tracks, the first loss in a backslide that saw him fall right out of the promotion. In the midst of his second act, it happened again, with Jason Miller and Jake Shields choking off his ambitions in brutal losses three years apart.

And then there was Hendricks.

“I should’ve done more in the fight and thrown more punches, thrown more kicks and took him out,” he said immediately following the fight, dejection written on his face at a press conference streamed to the world. “I don’t know. It’s easy to look back now and look at the things you should’ve done.”

Counting him out, however, seems a fool’s game. Over the years, he’s developed his craft in countless ways, evolving from a frenetic and frantic puncher as a kid to a surprisingly sophisticated striker in his latter years.

“Stubborn is not giving up and coming back every day when stuff is rough and not easy. I guess I want to be stubborn,” Lawler told me earlier this year. “I’m a grinder. You just wake up every day and get after it. I was banged up here and there. There was a time it felt like I just couldn’t get healthy. But I kept learning. It would have been easy to give up and do something else. It would have been easy to give up. To say, ‘This is hard. Maybe I shouldn’t do this anymore.’ What I thought was, ‘I’m in it. And I’m going to stay in it until I can’t do it anymore.’ Everything I’ve been through, it’s just made me a stronger individual, plain and simple.”

Bloody Elbow’s striking expert Connor Ruebusch explains what makes him such a difficult challenge for opponents:

The real key to the effectiveness of these punches is Lawler‘s manipulation of rhythm. By throwing slow, predictable strikes first, Lawler establishes a rhythm–a tempo that is subconsciously picked up by his foe. This makes the follow-up punches very difficult to predict or defend, as they are thrown completely off rhythm, shooting in at three times the speed. …

Lawler uses his constant slow, rhythmic movements to coerce his opponent into matching his rhythm, at which point he abruptly changes the tempo and surprises them with his deceptive speed and power.

There’s little doubt Lawler has the tools to win any fight in the welterweight division. He can hit Hendricks—and hurt him. That isn’t conjecture. We’ve all seen it.

The question, then, is whether he can do it mentally. Can Lawler reach inside himself and give his best performance on the biggest night of his life?

Most fighters never get a shot at the UFC title. Lawler went nearly 13 years, toiling as a journeyman at shows big and small to arrive at that moment. This time, just nine months separate his greatest failure from a second opportunity at redemption.

There may not be another.

With all that swirling around in his head, Lawler has seemingly maintained his equilibrium. Yes, Saturday’s UFC 181 fight matters. It matters a lot. But all he can do is what he does. It’s a simple philosophy, but one that has carried him a long distance in one of the world’s most difficult sports.

“I just go out there and do what I do best, and that’s fight,” Lawler told Bleacher Report’s Finley. “I let my hands and feet go and try to finish fights. I guess fans appreciate that, and that’s what I always looked up to when I watched martial arts and boxing growing up. I always appreciated guys who went out there looking to finish and gave it their all. That’s what I’m looking to do every time I go out there.”

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Hendricks vs. Lawler 2: Latest Predictions Before Anticipated UFC 181 Main Event

Few highly anticipated bouts live up to the hype, but the first Johny Hendricks-Robbie Lawler bout that took place in March was everything it was made out to be.
On Saturday, the two men will again battle for the UFC welterweight title in the main even…

Few highly anticipated bouts live up to the hype, but the first Johny Hendricks-Robbie Lawler bout that took place in March was everything it was made out to be.

On Saturday, the two men will again battle for the UFC welterweight title in the main event of UFC 181 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

If fans are lucky, we’ll get to see another spirited battle between these two elite fighters at 170 pounds. Hendricks eked out a win last time with a late takedown, but who has the edge this time?

Why Hendricks Might Win

Chances are, Hendricks won’t want to stand toe-to-toe with Lawler again. He survived the firefight last time, but trying it again might get him burned. His biggest advantage is in wrestling. That’s how he secured the win, and that could be the direction in which he goes early on in this fight.

Taking Lawler off his feet is the best approach for any opponent—even one with powerful punches like Hendricks.

Why Lawler Might Win

Sometimes, a guy loses a tough fight, but he emerges looking like the stronger fighter. That almost seemed to be the case for Lawler after the first bout with Hendricks.

That fight was a slugfest in which the win set unwritten rules in a stand-up affair. Lawler appeared to win that part of the battle. Hendricks tapped into his grappling background to save his title.

The question remains: Did Lawler break the champion’s spirit? We haven’t seen Hendricks in the Octagon since the first fight with Lawler.

Where is he mentally and physically after recovering from surgery to repair a torn bicep? All of those uncertainties could give Lawler the edge. He hasn’t stopped fighting since he narrowly lost to Hendricks.

Lawler has taken down Jake Ellenberger and Matt Brown to set himself up for another shot. This will be his fourth fight in a little less than nine months. The rhythm, timing and momentum could be on his side.

Prediction

Few fighters have improved as much as Lawler since we first saw him back in 2002. His will, striking prowess and takedown defense will push him past Hendricks in the rematch. The more rested fighter will have less in the tank late, and Lawler will become the new champion via unanimous decision.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.

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