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Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler II: Keys to Victory for Each Fighter

Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler are going to do it again.
The two met for the vacant UFC welterweight title at UFC 171 earlier this year. They put on a show in that main event. The fight was back-and-forth, competitive and very exciting. It is on the…

Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler are going to do it again.

The two met for the vacant UFC welterweight title at UFC 171 earlier this year. They put on a show in that main event. The fight was back-and-forth, competitive and very exciting. It is on the Fight of the Year shortlist for many.

Hendricks has not defended his title since, but Lawler jumped right back into the fray by defeating Jake Ellenberger and Matt Brown to earn his rematch.

This will be a different fight. Both men learned a lot from their first encounter, and both men will try to make the necessary adjustments to finish their opponent. Each man got rocked by heavy shots in their first fight.

This fight is all about who can make the slight adjustment to win. Here are each man’s keys to victory for the upcoming UFC 181 main event.

Lawler‘s Keys to Victory

Stuff Takedowns

Hendricks grabbed the final round in large part due to a final takedown. His wrestling is far superior than Lawler‘s, but Lawler has quality takedown defense. He needs to stuff the takedowns on Saturday.

One of Lawler‘s best attributes is his ability to quickly stand. However, the problem with that is the takedown still scores points on the judge’s scorecards. He needs to remain upright.

After eating heavy blows from Lawler in the first fight we may see Hendricks go for more takedowns in the rematch. Lawler needs to be ready.

Avoid the Cage

If Hendricks forces Lawler against the fence, he can make his takedowns easier, or imitate a clinch battle that won’t benefit Lawler.

Cirlce away. Get to the center.

Both men are aggressive and come forward, but when Lawler is on his heels he can’t put his back against the fence. Hendricks will try to cut off the cage and put Lawler right in front of him. Lawler‘s best bet is to keep the fight at a distance away from the cage.

Make It Dirty

Drag Hendricks into a dogfight like the fight at UFC 171.

If Lawler can make Hendricks brawl, his chances of catching him with a KO shot go up significantly.

Hendricks’ striking is mostly a danger because of his power. He is not nearly as proficient as Lawler on the feet. Lawler can win the grimy slugfests. This is where Lawler can take rounds even if he is unable to finish.

Hendricks’ Keys to Victory

Be Methodical

While Lawler should try to turn this into an ugly brawl, Hendricks should take his time.

It is a 25-minute fight, and he holds the edge in the grappling department. He does not need to throw caution to the wind on the feet nor does he need to go all-out right away for takedowns. Hendricks can take a methodical approach to the early portions of the fight.

Picking his spots for offense early will pay off late.

Position, Position, Position

It is almost a guarantee Hendricks will take this fight to the mat at some point, and when he does he needs to control position.

This isn’t the most crowd-pleasing advice, but this is for the title. He should not make stupid mistakes trying to be exciting.

Lawler is great off his back. He gets back to his feet quickly. Hendricks needs to take his time after a takedown to keep Lawler on his back. The judges will reward him even with minimal offense. We have seen that time and again.

Hendricks needs to control position on the mat before trying to find ground-and-pound.

Go Back To Your Roots

Wrestle.

Simple.

Hendricks likes to throw haymakers and get into a fun scrap, but that isn’t the best style for a long career. Or a successful title run. Hendricks should get back to his wrestling, and in turn that will open up striking when Lawler lowers his defenses to stop a takedown.

Hendricks waited until the final two rounds at UFC 171 to implement his wrestling. He needs to threaten with it earlier on Saturday. Even if unsuccessful, he makes Lawler think about the takedowns which can lead to success standing. It also makes Lawler work harder early to make him less of a threat deeper in the fight.

Hendricks has to wrestle to win. It’s that simple. He had to rely on it late at UFC 171, and he has to rely on it early at UFC 181.

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UFC 181: Hendricks vs. Lawler 2 Fight Card, TV Info, Predictions and More

UFC 181 is a pretty big deal. Saturday night’s card at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas is stacked. At the head of the 12-fight event are two world-title bouts. Anthony “Showtime” Pettis returns to the Octagon for the first time since winning the UFC ligh…

A knee injury has kept Showtime on the shelf, but he’s back and ready to defend his title against Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez.

The former Strikeforce champion has only had two bouts in the UFC, but he’s made an impression. He lost a close split decision to Benson Henderson, and out-slugged Diego Sanchez in a classic bout in Oct. 2013. On Saturday, he’ll get the first crack at post-injury Pettis.

In the marquee matchup, another champion returns from injury. Johny “Bigg Rigg” Hendricks rematches “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler. Hendricks won the vacant UFC welterweight title by narrowly defeating Lawler in March.

After the bout, he had to undergo surgery to repair torn bicep. The rematch with Lawler will mark his return to the Octagon.

Since the tough loss, Lawler hasn’t taken time off. He’s beaten Jake Ellenberger and Matt Brown to thrust himself right back to the head of the line of contenders for Hendricks’ title.

Lawler is confident and ready for another war. B/R’s Jeremy Botter is hyped for this one:

Here’s a look at the full card, viewing information and predictions for every bout. Just beneath the table is a closer look at the three biggest fights on the card.

Browne’s Elbows Will Stop Big Brown

What can Browne do for you?

Depending on how you spell it, it could be everything in this bout. Travis “Hapa” Browne will try to rebound from a lopsided loss to Fabricio Werdum against Brendan “Big Brown” Schaub.

Big Brown lost a controversial decision to Andrei Arlovski in his last bout, but there’s little chance his bout with Hapa goes the distance.

Only four of Browne’s 19 professional fights have been decided by judges. Schaub’s best method of attack will be to try and take Browne down to the mat. That’s easier said than done.

The 6’7″ Browne has defended 85 percent of the takedowns attempted against him in the UFC. What’s worse than simply thwarting the takedowns are the elbows Browne reigns down on opponents as they attempt to take his legs.

Both Gabriel Gonzaga and Josh Barnett felt the brunt of Browne’s elbow attack while going for the takedown. Schaub is a better athlete than both of those guys, but he’s probably not as physically strong. He’ll get caught in the same danger zone and Browne’s elbows will be Schaub’s undoing.

Pettis is Too Athletic and Versatile

There’s always a chance a fighter can be rusty after such a long layoff, but after watching the way Dominick Cruz exploded back onto the scene with his decimation of Takeya Mizugaki, we know how good world-class fighters can still be after injuries.

Pettis is a hard worker and one of the smartest in-Octagon competitors in the sport. There’s no doubt in my mind he’ll be physically and mentally prepared to face Melendez. At his best, Pettis is too fast for El Nino.

The fact that Pettis has such a wide range of attacks to throw at Melendez only makes the champion’s advantages more pronounced. As a striker, Pettis should be able to consistently get off first. Melendez is smart, and he’ll be looking to counter. However, there’s very few equalizers in the stand-up game for a man who is flat out quicker.

If the fight goes to the ground, Pettis has a plethora of submission finishes, and his dexterity off his back makes him dangerous even if an opponent has top position. Pettis seems to be looking to finish Melendez:

A KO or TKO finish is possible, but I see it going another way.

Showtime will pick Melendez apart early with strikes from the outside, and he’ll submit him in the third round to complete his triumphant return to the Octagon.

Lawler Will Break Hendricks

It wouldn’t be crazy to suggest that because Hendricks hasn’t fought since March, and Saturday’s clash will be Lawler‘s fourth in 2014, that the champion will be the fresher fighter.

That logic makes sense. Only I don’t subscribe to it in this situation.

Hendricks hasn’t been fighting and a good portion of the time away has been spent rehabbing an injury. When you consider Hendricks initially missed weight before the first bout and the fact that he’s returning from a layoff, conditioning could be a concern.

Meanwhile, Lawler has never fallen out of fighting shape. He’s remained focus and dominant while Hendricks has been away.

After beating Ellenberger and Brown and coming within a late takedown of besting Hendricks, Lawler‘s confidence should be sky high.

He’ll need to avoid Hendricks’ attempts to take the rematch to the ground sooner than later. If Lawler can keep the fight standing, he can out-box Hendricks. He’s tasted Bigg Rigg‘s power, and while still formidable, Lawler proved it’s nothing he need be intimidated by.

Late in the fight, Lawler‘s conditioning will take over and he’ll have more energy than Hendricks. This is a tough fight for a guy like Hendricks to take after a layoff, and it’ll show in the last two rounds.

Based on more consistent striking in what will be another great fight, Lawler will win a unanimous decision and the UFC welterweight title.

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

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UFC 181 Weigh-in Results: Henrdicks vs. Lawler II Fight Card

UFC 181 hits Las Vegas this weekend with not one but two championship belts up for grabs.
Johny Hendricks will defend his UFC welterweight title against Robbie Lawler in the main event of the pay-per-view. The two met earlier in 2014 in a Fight of the …

UFC 181 hits Las Vegas this weekend with not one but two championship belts up for grabs.

Johny Hendricks will defend his UFC welterweight title against Robbie Lawler in the main event of the pay-per-view. The two met earlier in 2014 in a Fight of the Year contender. The rematch has a lot to live up to.

Also defending his title for the first time is Anthony Pettis. After more than a year away from the cage he returns against Gilbert Melendez for the lightweight championship of the world. The two are coming off The Ultimate Fighter as coaches for the 20th season of the show.

The 11-fight card will become official on Friday evening when the fighters hit the scales to make weight. The weigh-ins get underway at 7 p.m. ET, and Bleacher Report will have full coverage of the proceedings. Come back here to find out who makes weight for UFC 181.

UFC 181 Fight Card

Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler
Anthony Pettis vs. Gilbert Melendez
Travis Browne vs. Brendan Schaub
Todd Duffee vs. Anthony Hamilton
Tony Ferguson vs. Abel Trujillo
Urijah Faber vs. Francisco Rivera
Eddie Gordon vs. Josh Samman
Corey Anderson vs. Justin Jones
Raquel Pennington vs. Ashlee Evans Smith
Sergio Pettis vs. Matt Hobar
Alex White vs. Clay Collard

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UFC 181 Bold Predictions: It’s Time for Johny Hendricks, Anthony Pettis to Roar

The champions are finally healthy, and the challengers each ready to take their second shots at UFC gold.
Parallel storylines, you guys!
As Saturday night’s UFC 181 kicks off perhaps the most important (and potentially awesome) stretch of live events i…

The champions are finally healthy, and the challengers each ready to take their second shots at UFC gold.

Parallel storylines, you guys!

As Saturday night’s UFC 181 kicks off perhaps the most important (and potentially awesome) stretch of live events in UFC history, welterweight champ Johny Hendricks and lightweight titlist Anthony Pettis both ease back into active duty after significant injury layoffs. Good timing, right?

Across the cage from them will be two legitimate top contenders (Robbie Lawler and Gilbert Melendez, respectively) each preparing to make maybe his final try at capturing a world title. Lawler gets a do-over after losing a tight one to Hendricks at UFC 171 in March while Melendez gets his after suffering a razor-close defeat to Benson Henderson in his initial title shot at UFC on Fox 7 in April 2013.

So this ought to be interesting. With a few other compelling attractions on the main card, including—wait, what’s this?—a couple at heavyweight, UFC 181 demands that bold predictions be made.

To that end, Bleacher Report lead writers Chad Dundas (that’s me) and Jonathan Snowden are here to tell you how it’s all going to play out—maybe.

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UFC Fan Art of the Day: Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler, Brawlin’ Buddies

(Click image for full-size version.)

Gian Galang is a New York-based illustrator who caught our attention this year with his amazing tributes to Mark Hunt. (See here and here. Step your game up, Hassy.) Galang recently created this beautiful rendition of Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler, in honor of their UFC 181 rematch this Saturday. I love how it captures the sheer joy these two get out of smashing each other. Their grins are contagious. And honestly, how much better is this than UFC 181’s official comic-book poster?

For further viewing, check out Galang’s kick-ass tribute to Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson, in advance of her atomweight title defense against Herica Tiburcio at Invicta FC 10 this Friday. You can see that one after the jump. And if you want to buy some of Galang’s work, click here.

(Click image for full-size version.)

Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler II: A Full Head-to-Toe Breakdown

It only took five rounds for the first part of this story to brand itself into an instant classic.
After five close rounds, Johny Hendricks walked away with the title he felt he—along with a good portion of the MMA community—had alrea…

It only took five rounds for the first part of this story to brand itself into an instant classic.

After five close rounds, Johny Hendricks walked away with the title he felt he—along with a good portion of the MMA community—had already won in his previous bout with then-champion Georges St-Pierre. Robbie Lawler walked away the loser.

Even in a losing effort, Lawler managed to take another big step on his resurgent path toward the top of the welterweight heap of contenders.

With only about a week separating their reunion inside of the Octagon, these two heavy hitters are sure to put on a quality outing to challenge their first title fight for Fight of the Year honors as 2014 comes to a close.

Scroll on to see how we break down the UFC 181 main event.

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