Despite not seeing the finish he expected in the main event at UFC on Fox 12, UFC president Dana White seemed perfectly comfortable admitting that Matt Brown and Robbie Lawler still earned every cent of their “Fight of the Night” bonuses.
I’m taking o…
Despite not seeing the finish he expected in the main event at UFC on Fox 12, UFC president Dana White seemed perfectly comfortable admitting that Matt Brown and Robbie Lawler still earned every cent of their “Fight of the Night” bonuses.
I’m taking off my dress shoes and putting on my Adidas and getting ready to walk back to Vegas! I didn’t see that coming!!!
White couldn’t help but revel in watching Brown and Lawler duke it out for the better part of five rounds with a shot at welterweight champ Johny Hendricks on the line.
Statistically speaking, Brown edged Lawler in the striking department, landing 89 total strikes to Lawler‘s 87, including 82-80 in the significant strikes category.
Lawler scored on each of his two takedown attempts and notched two guard passes. Brown got stuffed on six of his eight shots and didn’t muster a pass.
Lawler did just enough to sweep the judges’ scorecards, 49-46, 49-46, 48-47, prevailing for the fifth time in his last six fights.
In a post-fight interview with Fox’s Ariel Helwani, White explained Lawler‘s future and the welterweight title picture.
The thing is, Robbie Lawler has been an absolute stud for us. (He’s) stepped up (and) kept taking fights. This is the third fight in four months or something like that, and now he’s going to have some time off. Time to relax (and) time to focus and just think about Johny Hendricks, and if I was Johny Hendricks, I wouldn’t want to be fighting Robbie Lawler coming off a big layoff.
The loss snapped an impressive seven-fight winning streak that Brown began at UFC 143 with a TKO of Chris Cope. During his streak, Brown won by form of KO in every fight but one, his unanimous decision win over Stephen Thompson at UFC 145 a victory he notched just two-and-a-half months after besting Cope.
Lawler‘s lone loss in his second stint with the UFC came against Hendricks in a unanimous decision at UFC 171.
The main event of UFC on Fox 12 in San Jose, California, didn’t end in a TKO or KO as most expected, but it was still a thrilling bout.
“Ruthless” Robbie Lawler locked up a title shot with a unanimous-decision win over “The Immortal” Matt Brown. Lawler…
The main event of UFC on Fox 12 in San Jose, California, didn’t end in a TKO or KO as most expected, but it was still a thrilling bout.
“Ruthless” Robbie Lawler locked up a title shot with a unanimous-decision win over “The Immortal” Matt Brown. Lawler and Brown put on a great and ferocious show. Both men were seemingly hurt at points during the fight, but Lawler did the best work during the bout.
In the co-feature, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson further proved that he is one of the premier light heavyweights in the world. He scored a sensational first-round TKO win over Brazilian legend “Little Nog” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
It wasn’t a night filled with explosive finishes, but here are the results from a well-fought and entertaining night of fights from San Jose.
Fight Pass Prelims
Jedrzejczyk Shines
The first four fights were what most would expect from early action on this type of card. There were no finishes, but the action was pretty steady in each bout.
Female flyweight Joanna Jedrzejczyk may have been the biggest standout of the early bouts. She never stopped firing and trying to take out Juliana Lima. She didn’t finish the fight, but she clearly took the decision.
Fox Prelims
Impressive Debut
Brian Ortega got the Fox preliminaries off to a good start. The highly touted and undefeated 23-year-old promptly finished Mike De La Torre via rear-naked choke in the first round of his UFC debut.
The submissions specialist has now made five of his opponents tap out in his young career. The Torrance, California, native delighted the San Jose crowd with his performance and could be laying the groundwork for a run at some established names in 2015.
Redemption Continues
Patrick Cummins has redeemed himself after an embarrassing UFC debut.
He completely dominated Kyle Kingsbury in front of the latter’s hometown crowd to score his second straight win in the UFC. From the opening moments to the final bell, Cummins‘ masterful wrestling technique and strength made Kingsbury look like a complete amateur.
If there is any criticism to be levied against Cummins‘ performance, it’s that he didn’t finish an opponent he had clearly dominated.
Then again, that might be nitpicking. A decision can’t get much more lopsided than the one Cummins earned.
What a Chin
Jorge Masvidal survived a massive overhand right from Daron Cruickshank in the first round. For a moment, Masvidal looked to be out cold. Miraculously, he maintained consciousness, popped up to his feet and easily won the second and third rounds.
It was another impressive win for one of the most underrated fighters in the lightweight division.
Main Card
More Fighting, Less Talking
We’ve all heard of trash talk in a mixed martial arts contest, but the dialog between Bobby Green and Josh Thomson was strange.
It might have been easier to accept if the bout featured more action. It’s barely an exaggeration to say that there was more yapping than scrapping.
Neither fighter saw his stock soar in this one. Green won the fight, but fans scored a victory when the rap battle ended.
Seven and Counting
Dennis Bermudez completely dismantled Clay Guida and finished the show with a rear-naked choke. Bermudez looked smooth, sharp and completely unbothered by Guida‘s unconventional style.
His boxing, takedown defense and submission skills were on full display.
Rumble Young Man, Rumble
It took 10 fights, but Anthony “Rumble” Johnson delivered the first KO win of the event. He needed only 44 seconds to dispatch Brazilian legend Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
Johnson hurt Nogueira with an overhand right in the first 30 seconds, but he put an end to matters with a series of destructive uppercuts.
Lawler Outlasts Brown
Somehow, Lawler-Brown didn’t end in a KO. It wasn’t due to a lack of effort from the participants. Lawler and Brown launched some serious firepower in each other’s direction but didn’t connect on anything that ended the fight.
It was in no way a disappointing main event despite the fact that it didn’t deliver the spectacular finish we all expected.
Fighter Reaction
Happy to Be Here
Ortega was beaming after his big win on Saturday night. There are other MMA promotions in the world, but once a fighter lands with the big company with the little name, quotes like this one from Ortega are commonplace:
Jedrzejczyk talks about her impressive win over Lima:
Beaten into Submission…Permanently
How dominant was Cummins in his bout with Kingsbury? Apparently, the former wrestling standout from Penn State University pounded Kingsbury into retirement.
Dave Doyle of MMA Fighting tweeted this post-fight quote from Kingsbury:
The loss was Kingsbury‘s fourth in a row. This was easily the most he’s been dominated.
Twitter Reaction
Impressing the Bosses
Jedrzejczyk‘s performance during the Fight Pass prelims caught the attention of UFC President Dana White:
Her activity and style could make her a fan favorite.
For a while, it looked as if Ortega’s submission victory would be the only stoppage of the night.
Bermudez and Johnson also halted their opponents, but the UFC still recognized Ortega’s solid debut:
Co-Signers
Apparently, others felt the talking between Green and Thomson was a little weird. Josh Gross of Sherdog and Ben Fowlkes of USA Today chimed in:
A Proven Finisher
Bermudez whipped away the doubts of at least one skeptic. MMA writer Jordan Breen talked about The Menace’s finishing instincts and technique:
The End Should Be Near
When you look at what happened to Guida, Nogueira and Kingsbury—all fighters over the age of 30 with at least 15 bouts—it wasn’t a good night for the veterans.
YouTuber and online MMA personality Tommy Toe Hold summed up the concept of the night:
Gaining Steam
After Johnson’s destruction of Nogueira, Bleacher Report MMA said what we all were thinking about Rumble:
The Rowdy Recognizes the Ruthless
After Lawler‘s hard-fought win over Brown, UFC superstar and women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey posted her congratulations:
Fight Night Bonuses
There should be no arguments about the Fight Night bonuses; per Bleacher Report MMA, the right fighters were honored:
Biggest Winners
Cummins
After such an inauspicious beginning to his UFC career, Cummins needed to prove there was a reason so much hype surrounded his arrival in the UFC.
Against Kingsbury, Cummins‘ wrestling was as good as advertised. He’ll need to look a little better as a striker against a more accomplished wrestler, but Saturday’s win certainly created a buzz.
Masvidal
After taking a shot that would have finished most guys, Masvidal didn’t just survive, he excelled. He showed his fighting IQ and poise by recognizing where his major advantage was against Cruickshank.
By showing Octagon control and dominating on the ground, Masvidal earned the nod from the judges in the final two rounds.
Gamebred is 4-1 in the UFC and making the case that he should be under serious consideration for a shot at a major player in the lightweight division.
Bermudez
While The Menace might not be ready for a title shot just yet, he can’t be far off. Guida isn’t what he used to be, so that does diminish the shine of Bermudez‘s performance a bit, but not too much.
When a superior fighter is in with an inferior one, he should dominate. That’s exactly what Bermudez did. Look for him to get a shot at the likes of Frankie Edgar, Cub Swanson or Ricardo Lamas in his next bout.
Johnson
All right, Rumble was only facing a 38-year-old light heavyweight who probably should have retired after he somehow defeated Rashad Evans in Feb 2013, but Johnson was still amazing on Saturday.
It’s hard to imagine any 205-pounder with more momentum. Johnson should be heading into a potential shot at the winner of the upcoming Jon Jones-Daniel Cormier title bout.
Johnson has seemingly arrived as a major star in the UFC.
Lawler
If there is anyone who deserves a break, it’s Lawler. The bout with Brown was Lawler‘s third in five months. He is in line to get his rematch with welterweight champion Johny Hendricks, but before the second part of that war begins, Lawler should take a few months off to regenerate.
Even the Ruthless need to relax sometimes.
Biggest Losers
Kingsbury
Perhaps understanding and acknowledging when it’s time to hang up the gloves makes you a winner of sorts, but in looking at the night’s events, Kingsbury was dominated like almost no other opponent in action.
He was so outclassed, there is no wonder he decided to call an end to his career.
Guida
There comes a point where a fighter who is known for his grit, durability and reckless style takes too much damage to continue his career. Guida is at that point.
When it becomes hard to find a quality opponent whom Guida can beat, it’s probably better that The Carpenter calls it quits.
He’s had a great run. Hopefully Saturday’s loss will signal the end of it.
Nogueira
Little Nog took a big beating from Johnson. At 38 years old and with a laundry list of accomplishments in the sport of mixed martial arts, Nogueira has nothing else to prove.
Piggybacking off Tommy Toe Hold’s tweet, Nogueira ran into his Anton Chigurh on Saturday.
He should heed the tough love Johnson showed him and wait for the Hall of Fame call from White and the Fertitta brothers.
The UFC on Fox 12 main event between “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler and Matt “The Immortal” Brown is over. We survived the devastation, and it was awesome.
Two of the most violent 170-pound men on the planet stepped into the UFC Octagon to do batt…
The UFC on Fox 12 main event between “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler and Matt “The Immortal” Brown is over. We survived the devastation, and it was awesome.
Two of the most violent 170-pound men on the planet stepped into the UFC Octagon to do battle, and the results were magnificent, leaving behind two bloodied combatants and a whole lot of satisfaction.
Ultimately, Lawler, who recently challenged welterweight champion Johny Hendricks for UFC gold at UFC 171, continued his winning ways, notching a hard-earned unanimous decision over Brown in San Jose, California, on Saturday night.
The win was impressive, it showcased Lawler‘s full skill set, and it earned him another bid at Hendricks’ title.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
The Immortal was game, standing in front of Lawler and trading strikes for the better part of the five-round fight. Sometimes, he even got the better of these exchanges, most notably rocking Lawler in Round 1 and charging in for the finish.
It was the back-and-forth scrap fans wanted, and it represents a rare moment of a high-profile main event completely living up to its astronomical hype. Fans wanted this fight since it was announced, and it totally delivered.
That’s special.
What We Learned About Lawler
Amazing as the fight was, we really didn’t learn anything new about Lawler.
His takedown defense continues to impress, as it did against Hendricks and Jake Ellenberger, and his striking continues to look polished and sharp, as it has since rejoining the promotion at UFC 157.
Lawler absolutely earned his second chance at Hendricks’ title, but this fight was not particularly revealing for him (and that’s not a bad thing!).
What We Learned About Brown
Brown can hang with the big boys.
Coming into this bout opposite Lawler, the biggest criticism against Brown was that he hadn’t defeated anybody noteworthy during his stellar seven-fight winning streak that earned him a spot in the UFC on Fox 12 main event.
Against Lawler, he didn’t notch that signature victory over top competition, but he showed he belongs. He never looked lost or seriously outclassed, and he swung until the final bell, keeping the pressure on Ruthless in classic Matt Brown fashion.
The dude is a savage, top-10 competition or not, and he’s 100 percent deserving of his lofty spot in the UFC’s official rankings.
While we didn’t necessarily learn anything new about Brown—he was basically the same aggressive, swinging beast as always—we did learn that he’s effective against elite, proven competition.
What’s Next for Lawler
Hendricks is next for Lawler. We already knew this fight was a No. 1 contender’s bout, so this is a pretty obvious call.
What’s Next for Brown
Unfortunately for The Immortal, he wasn’t able to take the next step toward gold against Lawler. Because of this, I don’t think he’ll receive another top-five fight in his next outing, but he’ll still get a solid opponent due to his brief periods of success in the bout and his overflowing heart and determination.
Look for him to take on Ellenberger in a fight to determine who belongs in the Top 10 of the stacked welterweight division and who doesn’t.
The UFC is in San Jose tonight with a free fight card that can only be described as “legit man [expletive].” UFC on FOX 12 kicks off at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, and BG will be sticking round-by-round results after the jump; refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.
The UFC is in San Jose tonight with a free fight card that can only be described as “legit man [expletive].” UFC on FOX 12 kicks off at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, and BG will be sticking round-by-round results after the jump; refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.
Shoot your own thoughts in the comments section, or fling them at us on twitter. And as always, thanks for coming.
UFC on FOX 12 preliminary card results
– Daron Cruickshank def. Jorge Masvidal via unanimous decision (29-28 x 2, 29-27)
– Patrick Cummins def. Kyle Kingsbury via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-25, 30-24)
– Tim Means def. Hernani Perpetuo via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
– Brian Ortega def. Mike De La Torre via submission (rear-naked choke), 1:39 of round 1
– Tiago Trator def. Akbarh Arreola via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28)
– Gilbert Burns def. Andreas Stahl via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
– Joanna Jedrzejczyk def. Juliana Lima via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28)
– Noad Lahat def. Steven Siler via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
Please stand by…
Curt Menefee starts off with a tortured Silicon Valley analogy, that has no place on any card that’s headlined by Matt Brown. Oh, and we’ve already got a Guardians of the Galaxy commercial *within* the broadcast. That took about 45 seconds. Good job, everybody.
Daniel Cormier is on the broadcast panel, plugging his upcoming title fight against Jon Jones, which leads into a trailer package for the bout. You know what, I’ll count that as a commercial too. Now they’re breaking down tonight’s fight card.
After a full 20 minutes of commercials, it’s time to begin…
Josh Thomson vs. Bobby Green
Round 1: Thomson starts out snapping kicks at Green’s ankles. Green returns a leg kick, and lands a solid right hand. Thomson with a pair of quick punches. Good body kick from Green. They trade punches and Thomson’s land harder. Bobby Green starts bouncing around, not even looking at Thomson. It’s Paulo Filho-esque. Thomson goes high with the left kick. Thomson gets thumbed in the eye pretty badly and there’s a break in the action. Herb Dean offers him some more time to recover, but Thomson is back in after about 30 seconds. Thomson grazes Green with a head kick; Green smiles and starts talking to him. Thomson tries a foot-sweep takedown and Green defends. Green going low with an oblique kick. He lands nicely with a leg kick. The round ends, and it was a close one.
Round 2: Green with a body kick. Thomson brushes Green back with another head kick and Green gives Thomson a wide smile and basically congratulates Thomson for the effort. “Talking back isn’t going to score you points,” Mike Goldberg says, after Green responds to Thomson’s attacks with more conversation. Leg kick Thomson. Now even Thomson can’t help but smile as Green continues to treat this fight like a bro-out session. Green with another oblique kick to Thomson’s knee. Thomson tries to shoot in, but Green avoids it. Thomson slugging as soon as Green gets close. Thomson tries the trip-takedown again and gets it. He pounces on Green, but Green escapes to his feet. The round ends; I’d call it a clear 10-9 for Thomson.
Round 3: Green comes out with some kung fu arm movements. Good punch to the body from Green. Thomson whiffs a spinning backfist. They clinch against the fence. Green whips a right hand to Thomson’s temple and spins out. A spinning knee from Green pushes Thomson against the fence. Green staying busy this round, keeping Thomson near the fence and attacking. Thomson slips in with some punches. He fails on the foot-sweep, but follows it with a hard body kick. Thomson is bleeding under his right eye. Green shoots, Thomson slugs him in a head a few times while defending against the fence. Green with a lead uppercut. Thomson goes over the top with a right hand. Green stalks in during the closing seconds of the round, Thomson fires back and tries a capoeira kick. There’s the bell. 10-9 for Green. This could go either way.
Bobby Green def. Josh Thomson via split decision. (29-28 x 2, 28-29). The crowd isn’t happy with it, but whaddya gonna do. Joe Rogan says that Green “belongs with the elite of the division.” Really? For grinnin’ his way through an incredibly close fight against Josh Thomson? I’m not convinced.
Clay Guida vs. Dennis Bermudez
And there’s Jason Guida doing his “slap Clay in the face before the fight” thing, again. He’s carved out quite a little niche for himself. Indeed, Jason Guida is the white Antonio Inoki.
Round 1: Bermudez rushing forward like a bull. He lands a leg kick. He’s throwing some serious punches too, but missing most of them. Clay Guida kicks Bermudez in the knee, then lands a big right hand. Guida shoots for a single leg, but Bermudez pulls out of it. They clinch against the fence. Bermudez sneaks in a good knee, and another. Guida shoots, Bermudez grabs him in a headlock and punches Guida when he pulls away. Guida tries to take Bermudez’s back in a scramble, but Bermudez shakes him off. Another knee from Bermudez, and Clay is cut near his right eye. Bermudez dashes forward with a leg kick, a punch, a knee. Bermudez grabs a clinch and starts smashing Guida with knees. Guida tries to escape and Bermudez takes his back, looking for a choke. Guida defends it, sticks his tongue out at the camera and the crowd loves it. The round ends. Dominant first round for Bermudez, but we’re still in 10-9 territory. Guida burps loudly on the stool.
Round 2: Bermudez storming forward trying to grab onto Guida, Guida landing punches while backpedaling. Punches and a sharp leg kick from Bermudez. Guida lands an inside leg kick. Bermudez lands in a punching exchange. A stiff left hand from Bermudez gets Guida stumbling backwards. Bermudez land a teep to the belly. Bermudez stalking Guida down. Guida lands a big overhand right again, but Bermudez doesn’t seem phased. Heck of a chin on that guy. Bermudez bullrushes Guida to the mat and takes his back. He goes for the rear-naked choke again, and sinks it almost immediately. Guida taps. He gets up and starts running laps around the cage.
That’s seven straight wins for Bermudez, and honestly, he looks like a killer now.
Dennis Bermudez def. Clay Guida via submission (rear-naked choke), 2:57 of round 2. Bermudez is “super-stoked.” He says Guida will be in the Hall of Fame one day. He’d like a title shot, but he’d be happy to fight anybody in the top 5.
Anthony Johnson vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Welp, it’s public execution time.
Round 1: Johnson moving forward slowly, cautiously. Johnson tags Nogueira with a punch, and Lil’ Nog is on his heels. Johnson lands another power punch, as Nog hits the fence. Johnson enters the kill sequence. A barrage of heavy punches from Rumble, ending with a right uppercut that sends Nogueira to the mat. It’s over. “And the lights go out in San Jose,” Joe Rogan says, somberly.
Bottom line, that fight shouldn’t have been made. And yet…isn’t this why we watch Rumble Johnson?
Anthony Johnson def. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira via TKO, 0:44 of round 1. “Hopefully I keep puttin’ fear in everybody’s hearts,” Johnson says, before thanking the crowd. “I just wanted to destroy him, that was it.” After his rocky competitive history is brought up by Rogan, Johnson says “yeah, don’t cut so much weight, everybody.”
Again, it should be noted that Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is held together by duct tape, and didn’t really come to fight. The man has no more tread left on the tires, and should retire (like Kyle Kingsbury didearlier, by the way). Still: Who should Rumble beat up next?
Robbie Lawler vs. Matt Brown
Round 1: Brown comes out jabbing and Lawler immediately brushes him back with hard punches. Brown testing range with kicks. Lawler lands a nice uppercut. Brown on his heels, as Lawler lands sharp punches at will. Brown doing these really slow leg kicks that make me nervous for him. But Brown lands a big right hand. Lawler returns fire. Now Brown grabs his clinch, lands some knees. He lands a standing elbow. Brown waking up now. He flips Lawler to the mat, and looks for a D’arce choke, but Lawler defends and stands. Lawler pushes Brown against the fence, lands a hard uppercut. Brown is cut near the top of his nose. Brown lands knees to Lawler’s legs from the clinch, and an elbow in close. Another elbow from Brown, but Lawler bashes his way out, and nails Brown with heavy punches. Nice body kick from Lawler. Brown lands one of his own. Brown dashes in with a long punch and Lawler fires back an uppercut as the round ends. I’d say 10-9 Lawler, who looked very dangerous throughout.
Round 2: Brown missing punches and running out of the way to avoid Robbie’s counters. Brown tries a high right kick that’s mostly blocked. I just noticed that Brown is sponsored by Dude Wipes. Brown lands a kick to the body. Brown shoots in for a takedown. It’s telegraphed and Lawler is ready for it; Brown briefly gets Lawler to the mat, but Lawler is quickly on his feet. Brown whiffs a punch. Lawler lands a straight left. Brown lands a spinning back to the body. He storms forward with punches. Brown stick a right hand. He briefly grabs a clinch and sneaks in an elbow. Brown throws a high kick, then thumps one to the body. Lawler with a hard body kick of his own. Brown chases Lawler and fires a kick at the bell. Brown did much better in that round, and may have edged out a 10-9.
Round 3: Brown shoots in for a single-leg, and is tenaciously trying to convert it against the fence, but Lawler doesn’t budge. He drops down an elbow, drawing more blood from Brown’s face. Lawler with a hard body kick and Brown winces. Lawler throws it again. Lawler goes high with the kick. Lawler sneaks in a right hook. Brown gets busy firing punches. Lawler kicks Brown in the belly and Brown is hurt, stumbling backwards…but Big John thinks it was a low blow, and stops the action. Damn it. The replay shows that it was as clean as you can get. But Brown gets a break. They’re back in. Brown lands a body kick. They trade high kicks. There’s the bell. Lawler, 10-9. Brown was in trouble there for a while.
Round 4: Lawler runs out to the center of the Octagon, throwing punches. He takes Brown to the mat and starts working from half-guard. Some douche-bro in the crowd starts booing immediately. Brown grabs a headlock, but loses it. He scoots back to the fence. Brown tries to turn and stand, but Lawler slams him back to the mat and takes his back. Brown escapes to his feet. Good lead uppercut from Lawler. Brown shoots, Lawler defends. Good right hand from Lawler. Lawler lands a left high kick. Brown lands a pair of kicks to Lawler’s right leg. Lawler snaps Brown’s head back with a left. The round ends; another 10-9 for Lawler. Brown looking pretty tired as he walks back to his corner.
Round 5: And here we go. Both guys spend the first 20 seconds slugging the shit out of each other. Brown knows he needs a finish here. Brown working some standing elbows with good success. Body kick from Lawler, followed by a left hand. They clinch against the fence, briefly. Lawler is cut now, too. Good knee to the body from Brown, and Lawler responds with a right hand. Brown lands a kick to the ribs. Lawler lands a left high kick. Brown with a left hook to the body. Powerful body kick from Brown. But Lawler lands one of his own and Brown is hurt. More back and forth, with both guys tearing into each other. Lawler with a kick, Brown catches it, Lawler spins around with a backfist. Lawler with another kick to the body. What a dogfight. Brown is tough as nails, but he must be in agony. Lawler smashes Brown to the mat, but Brown is quickly on his feet. The last horn sounds. Brown smiles at Lawler. The Immortal must know he lost, but hey, it was a hell of a show.
Robbie Lawler def. Matt Brown via unanimous decision (49-46 x 2, 48-47). “There’s two champions in this ring tonight,” Lawler says to Brown. The post-fight interview is a quick one, as the broadcast is completely out of time, but Lawler’s not much of a talker anyway. The important thing is, the win secures Lawler a rematch against Johny Hendricks for the welterweight title, as soon as Hendricks is healthy again. Can’t wait for that one.
UFC on FOX 12 weigh-ins went down earlier today in San Jose, and no, they did not proceed without incident. Most notably, Matt Brown came in way heavy on his first attempt, tipping the scales at 172.5 pounds for his welterweight headliner against Robbie Lawler. Usually, a fighter in his position would grit his teeth and go back to the sauna for an hour. But due to a weird miscommunication, that didn’t happen. FOX Sports’s Marc Raimondi has the report:
[After missing weight], Brown was advised by a commission doctor that he should not continue to cut weight. By rule, a fighter has another hour to try to make weight. Brown thought the doctor was telling him he would not be allowed to weigh in again, according to CSAC executive officer Andy Foster.
“There’s a difference between advisement from a doctor and a directive by a doctor,” Foster told FOX Sports.
When a fighter misses weight in California, he or she must forfeit 20 percent of his or her purse, 10 percent to the commission and 10 percent to the opponent. After a discussion between the UFC and commission officials, the CSAC decided not to fine Brown.
“We were just looking after his health and safety, but I was going to let him on [the scale again],” Foster said. “I was going to give him his time. Chalk it up to miscommunication.”
UFC on FOX 12 weigh-ins went down earlier today in San Jose, and no, they did not proceed without incident. Most notably, Matt Brown came in way heavy on his first attempt, tipping the scales at 172.5 pounds for his welterweight headliner against Robbie Lawler. Usually, a fighter in his position would grit his teeth and go back to the sauna for an hour. But due to a weird miscommunication, that didn’t happen. FOX Sports’s Marc Raimondi has the report:
[After missing weight], Brown was advised by a commission doctor that he should not continue to cut weight. By rule, a fighter has another hour to try to make weight. Brown thought the doctor was telling him he would not be allowed to weigh in again, according to CSAC executive officer Andy Foster.
“There’s a difference between advisement from a doctor and a directive by a doctor,” Foster told FOX Sports.
When a fighter misses weight in California, he or she must forfeit 20 percent of his or her purse, 10 percent to the commission and 10 percent to the opponent. After a discussion between the UFC and commission officials, the CSAC decided not to fine Brown.
“We were just looking after his health and safety, but I was going to let him on [the scale again],” Foster said. “I was going to give him his time. Chalk it up to miscommunication.”
Foster said he spoke to Brown and his cornermen about three minutes after Brown weighed in. Foster said he asked Brown whether or not he would be making a second attempt.
“He said, ‘I’ll take the fine,’” Foster said. “His corner told me he’d take the fine. I’m going to chalk that up to a miscommunication as him thinking we told him absolutely not. Maybe a miscommunication error. But he did tell me he would take the fine.”
Foster said it’s understandable Brown could have misinterpreted the doctor’s words and the commission will look to remedy this potential problem in the future.
“I get it,” Foster said. “He’s been cutting, he’s foggy. And we’ll certainly learn from this experience and be very clear following this.”
And so, Brown will not be fined, and he’s still eligible for post-fight bonuses. Following the weigh-in debacle, Sean Shelby played a little prank on Dana White, telling the UFC president that Robbie Lawler was refusing to go through with the fight. Hilarity ensued.
Also blowing weight today was strawweight fighter Juliana Lima, who came in at 116.5 pounds on her second attempt, and will be fined 20% of her purse. Lima’s post-weigh-in face-off with Joanna Jedrzejczyk was one of the most epicly uncomfortable moments in recent UFC history:
Full UFC on FOX 12 weigh-in results are below.
Robbie Lawler (171) vs. Matt Brown (*172.5)
Anthony Johnson (204.5) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (205.5)
Clay Guida (145) vs. Dennis Bermudez (146)
Josh Thomson (155) vs. Bobby Green (155.5)
Jorge Masvidal (155.5) vs. Daron Cruickshank (155.5)
Kyle Kingsbury (204.5) vs. Patrick Cummins (206)
Tim Means (170.5) vs. Hernani Perpetuo (171)
Mike de la Torre (146) vs. Brian Ortega (145.5)
Tiago dos Santos e Silva (155) vs. Akbarh Arreola (155.5)
Steven Siler (146) vs. Noad Lahat (145)
Gilbert Burns (170) vs. Andreas Stahl (171)
Joanna Jedrzejczyk (115) vs. Juliana de Lima Carneiro (**116.5)
This Saturday is going to mark one of the most highly anticipated top-contender bouts of the year.
As two of the very best welterweight brawlers on the planet, Robbie Lawler and Matt Brown are going to wage war for what can end up being five death-defy…
This Saturday is going to mark one of the most highly anticipated top-contender bouts of the year.
As two of the very best welterweight brawlers on the planet, Robbie Lawler and Matt Brown are going to wage war for what can end up being five death-defying rounds.
But considering each threat to the title encompasses his own stockpile of finishing ability, don’t count on this one ending up in the judges’ hands.
With their own game plans in check and their respective win streaks on the line, Lawler and Brown are going to go all out when the cage door closes this weekend.
Here are keys to victory for each 170-pound beast as the winner at UFC on Fox 12 will get a shot at champion Johny Hendricks.
Keys to victory for Lawler
Keep a steady pace
Lawler has a knack for hanging around in fights when maybe he shouldn’t be.
Now while that’s an awesome attribute to possess, one that has fueled come-from-behind victories in the past (e.g., Rory MacDonald), it isn’t a game Lawler will want to play against a menacing madman like Brown.
With one of the highest motors in the division and arguably the best at capitalizing on split-second opportunities, Brown isn’t the type of fighter you want to gas out on.
That’s why Lawler needs to pace himself early and often.
Not to the effect of holding punches or disengaging in close-knit exchanges, but more in the sense of knowing when to pull back, regain his composure, catch his breath and go back in for the kill.
Don’t shy away from a takedown
Yes, most of Brown’s success spanning his last seven fights has come at the destruction of his penetrating fists.
But that doesn’t mean his striking deserves all the credit.
No. Behind his overwhelming pressure and persistence on the feet is Brown’s recent evolution as a fighter who knows how to stay off the ground.
He has only been taken down once throughout his illustrious winning streak, spanning a total of 15 rounds, suggesting that his wrestling these days is just as potent as his ferocious striking.
That said, Lawler has to be willing to get his hands dirty to defeat a potent finisher like Brown.
The opportunity to buckle Brown on his feet might not come as easy as he thinks, so Lawler must be capable of securing a takedown and taking his opponent away from his bread and butter.
Keys to victory for Brown
Land early
Lawler isn’t easy to hurt, but Brown sure knows how to inflict pain in bunches.
So if The Immortal wants to do the most damage and take Lawler out of his element early, then he should land early.
It’s as simple as that.
But with juggernaut hands returning in his direction, Brown needs to play his cards right and remain patient.
One false attempt to catch Lawler off guard could spell disaster for a fighter who has never been finished by strikes.
Stay loose
This is a huge fight for Brown.
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, he has not only redefined his professional career over the last few years, but his life.
For him to truly cash in on this second chance to do what he was born and bred to do, Brown must understand the magnitude of the task at hand.
Lawler is as tough as they come. He’s a guy who went toe-to-toe with Hendricks, powered his way past MacDonald and made Jake Ellenberger’s striking look like that of Jake Shields.
Taking all of that into consideration, Brown’s best recipe for success is to stay loose.
He must maintain a sense of zen, even though that’s completely unrealistic for a fighter of his style, in order to push a welterweight like Lawler to the brink.
But just because he needs to remain unpredictable, confident, versatile and controlling doesn’t mean the 33-year-old can’t incorporate the same skin-splitting violence he’s used to producing.
The main event of UFC on Fox 12 in San Jose, California, didn’t end in a TKO or KO as most expected, but it was still a thrilling bout.
