‘Ruthless’ Robbie Lawler will step into the octagon for the final time this Saturday at UFC 290. Lawler has delivered some of the best moments in UFC history in a career that spans over two decades.
The nickname ‘Ruthless’ could not be more veracious as he has always lived up to this description. He brought nothing but constant violence and chaos to the cage, and has left a trail of blood and battered opponents in his wake.
Combat Sports UK takes a look at the top 5 moments of one of the most entertaining welterweights the sport has ever seen.
#5: A Dream Return To The UFC
After winning multiple titles in other organisations and going on an inconsistent Strikeforce run, Lawler returned to the UFC after almost a decade away. He would go on to make history, and it began with a fight against Josh Koscheck at UFC 157.
Koscheck secured an early takedown, but Lawler’s strength helped him get back to his feet while his opponent continued to try and wrestle. Koscheck changed levels once again and went for a single leg takedown, but Lawler sprawled and ended up on top.
Lawler displayed his incredible power and began smashing Koscheck with punches on the ground. Referee Herb Dean had no choice but to step in and stop the fight, earning Lawler another first round TKO finish.
‘Ruthless’ was back in a big way, and he was just getting started.
#4: Title Eliminator vs Matt Brown
Lawler came up short in his first UFC title fight against Johny Hendricks, but had another opportunity to fight for the belt if he could get through Matt Brown.
‘The Immortal’ came to fight, and the two went back and forth in a bloody war. Lawler eventually won by decision in a fight that somehow went the full five rounds. The bout earned these warriors a fight of the night award.
This was a prime example of how Lawler could get hurt but come back strong, and he would demonstrate this capability many times in his career. He ate Brown’s elbows, knees and kicks, and kept coming forward mixing up his own brutal attacks and combinations. He truly earned the hard-fought decision win and showed every ounce of his toughness in doing so.
#3: ‘Ruthless’ Robbie Lawler Wins Title
Lawler again took on Hendricks for the welterweight title nine months after the pair first fought, and this time he found glory. He would win by split decision in yet another violent affair after showing his mettle in the championship rounds.
Lawler started the fight strong and set an intense pace, landing combinations and working well in the clinch. Hendricks improved after that though, and won rounds two and three on two of the judges scorecards. Just as it looked like the momentum was swinging in favour of Hendricks, Lawler again became the aggressor.
‘Ruthless’ lived up to his nickname and would not be denied the belt again. He was taken down in the final round, but managed to land some nasty elbows to the body of Hendricks. Once on his feet again, Lawler came forward in devastating fashion and landed massive shots in the final 20 seconds.
It was a close fight, but Lawler was awarded the belt. His road to the championship was arguably one of the toughest and he certainly deserved the highest of accolades.
#2: His Battle With Carlos Condit
Everybody expected even more violence when Lawler took on ‘The Natural Born Killer’ Condit, and they got what they were hoping for.
One of the greatest UFC fights ever ended with Lawler getting his hand raised in another split decision win. Both fighters came close to finishing each other in this one, dropping to the canvas after taking big shots. Condit had the edge when it came to volume for most of the fight, but Lawler was doing more damage with his punishing power.
Condit tried everything he could, throwing his wild, signature combinations, but Lawler’s power shots and insane durability got him the win here. Another one for the history books, and Lawler’s second title defence.
#1: The Best Fight Of All Time vs Rory MacDonald
This fight is likely to be at the top of most people’s lists when talking about great Lawler moments. In fact, this unbelievable fight is about to be inducted into the UFC hall of fame, and who could dispute that decision?
‘Ruthless’ Robbie Lawler vs Rory MacDonald at UFC 189 was a classic. The pair had fought before – Lawler winning a three round decision – but this was for all the marbles after MacDonald’s recent three fight win streak. This was also Lawler’s first defence of his title.
It actually got off to a slow start – both fighters making reads and not taking too many risks. The fight picked up in the second round though as Lawler began landing on MacDonald, busting up his nose.
Round three was a similar story, until MacDonald caught Lawler with a head kick that had the champion in trouble. MacDonald swarmed on Lawler hitting him with elbows and punches, but he survived and made it to the fourth.
Round four began as number three ended. He landed another head kick and tried to finish the fight, but Lawler hung on despite taking a lot of damage. His face was a complete mess after the onslaught.
Too Much To Take For MacDonald
You would have been forgiven for thinking that Lawler was done, but the title holder showed levels of heart and toughness the likes of which we have rarely seen. If there is time on the clock, you can’t count Lawler out. With nothing but raw aggression, he came back landing the better of the strikes. When the round was over, Lawler and MacDonald stared each other down in a moment that will never be forgotten.
In the final round both men came out swinging. After a Lawler left hand landed to the broken nose of MacDonald, the Canadian could no longer take the pain and fell back to the canvas. Lawler got in a couple more punches before the epic fight was stopped.
Lawler’s roars of celebration will be etched into the memories of fight fans forever. ‘Ruthless’ Robbie Lawler never knew when to quit, and gave us some of the best moments in the octagon.
He lost the belt to Tyron Woodley, and the aging champion began to fade. This isn’t surprising after what he endured in the cage. The 41-year-old takes on Niko Price this weekend in his final bout, and he will be sorely missed.
Lawler’s career is an unforgettable one, but does he have one more great performance in him at UFC 290?
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
