Can Robbie Lawler bring back his "Ruthless" days
There was a time when Robbie Lawler would send tremors down any fighter in the UFC Welterweight division. Lawler was ruthless, aggressive, and a fierce force inside the octagon.
However, time and age have slowed down even the most ruthless fighter to ever step inside the octagon. It is interesting to note that Lawler has only fought Championship caliber fighters in the form of Kamaru Usman, Ben Askren, Rafael Dos Anjos in the recent past. He is on a three-fight losing streak including a controversial stoppage against Ben Askren at UFC 235.
Robbie Lawler will return after almost a year to face Neil Magny in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night Smith vs Rakic. Lawler's last fight was against former interim champion Colby Covington. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Despite the last few performances, Robbie Lawler has looked tough and is still a threat to any fighter in the division. Lawler is ranked #13 in UFC Welterweight rankings, and he will take on #14 ranked Neil Magny in his return flight to the octagon. Neil Magny is on a two-fight win streak and will look to cement his position in the Welterweight division with a win over former champion Robbie Lawler.
Robbie Lawler is still ruthless
Who can forget Lawler's ruthless performance against Rory McDonald at UFC 189? Lawler's next fight against Carlos Condit at UFC 195 is also considered by many as one of the greatest fights in the history of mixed martial arts. It will be too soon to think that Lawler's ruthless days are over. Lawler is far from done and has had his fair share of upsets in the last few fights. However, it's hard to ignore his fighting spirit, his footwork, and his killing instinct which still seems to be a huge factor whenever he steps inside the octagon.
It is equally interesting to note that Lawler has fared better in Championship round compared to the first three rounds against both Covington and dos Anjos. Lawler likes to start slow, save his energy and fire in the later rounds.
However, he often takes more damage than necessary to accelerate in the latter rounds. While he performs comparitively better, there's an argument to be made that Lawler can perform really well if he starts a little faster than he has in his last few fights. Barring the first round stoppage against Ben Askren, Lawler has competed for five rounds against both Covington and dos Anjos. Lawler's appraoch to start slow could have a lot to do with the bout being a five round fight.
It will be exciting to see Lawler take on Magny in a three-round fight. Magny has looked incredible ever since returning to the octagon after a year-long hiatus. Magny has picked up quick back to back victories and will look to cement his position in the Welterweight division with a win over former champion Robbie Lawler.
Robbie Lawler is still a ruthless fighter. If we exclude the sole KO loss to Tyron Woodley, Lawler has never been finished inside the octagon despite faring against some of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. At 38, Robbie Lawler will look to make a huge comeback against Neil Magny to send a notice to the entire division. Robbie Lawler is a huge name and a couple of wins from here can certainly plummet him back to the title picture.