Robbie Lawler Defends Title Against Tyron Woodley at UFC 201
Robbie Lawler Defends Title Against Tyron Woodley at UFC 201
Robbie Lawler's next title defense is set.The American Top Team product will face his teammate, Tyron Woodley, in the main event of July 30's UFC 201 event
Robbie Lawler's next title defense is set.
The American Top Team product will face his teammate, Tyron Woodley, in the main event of July 30's UFC 201 event in Atlanta. The fight has been rumored since early May, but MMAFighting.com's Ariel Helwani confirmed the matchup Tuesday.
The news will undoubtedly bring out the haters.
Woodley has not fought since January 2015, when he defeated Kelvin Gastelum via split decision at UFC 183. Prior to that, he knocked out Dong Hyun Kim at UFC fight Night 48 and lost to Rory MacDonald via unanimous decision at UFC 174.
At 2-1 in his last three, it's questionable to thrust Woodley into a title shot—especially after over a year of inactivity. The situation is made even murkier when considering the other options.
Demian Maia's current winning streak sits at five, and he's 4-0 since Woodley last fought alone.
Dynamic welterweight striker Stephen Thompson also lurks in the shadows, boasting a six-fight winning streak—four via knockout. He will face MacDonald in a marquee bout at UFC Fight Night 89 on June 18. Another win, and it'd be hard to deny him the title shot any longer.
Yet, it's Woodley who gets the call. While his recent resume leaves a little to be desired, Woodley is a legitimate threat to Lawler's title. He's 5-2 in the UFC, with four of those victories coming via knockout. He suffered both losses via decision.
There's no doubt he possesses the power to shut out the lights in a flash, and his Division-I, All-American wrestling background is always at the ready. He's dynamic and athletic, and his recent stint as a Fox Sports commentator has allowed him to analyze the game in a different manner, picking and choosing various moves and techniques from his peers to implement for himself.
Lawler's career resurgence is remarkable on its own, though, and he'll likely be the considerable favorite on fight night. The champ's won five straight, the most recent a split-decision victory over Carlos Condit at UFC 195.
The American Top Team product will face his teammate, Tyron Woodley, in the main event of July 30's UFC 201 event in Atlanta. The fight has been rumored since early May, but MMAFighting.com's Ariel Helwani confirmed the matchup Tuesday.
The news will undoubtedly bring out the haters.
Woodley has not fought since January 2015, when he defeated Kelvin Gastelum via split decision at UFC 183. Prior to that, he knocked out Dong Hyun Kim at UFC fight Night 48 and lost to Rory MacDonald via unanimous decision at UFC 174.
At 2-1 in his last three, it's questionable to thrust Woodley into a title shot—especially after over a year of inactivity. The situation is made even murkier when considering the other options.
Demian Maia's current winning streak sits at five, and he's 4-0 since Woodley last fought alone.
Dynamic welterweight striker Stephen Thompson also lurks in the shadows, boasting a six-fight winning streak—four via knockout. He will face MacDonald in a marquee bout at UFC Fight Night 89 on June 18. Another win, and it'd be hard to deny him the title shot any longer.
Yet, it's Woodley who gets the call. While his recent resume leaves a little to be desired, Woodley is a legitimate threat to Lawler's title. He's 5-2 in the UFC, with four of those victories coming via knockout. He suffered both losses via decision.
There's no doubt he possesses the power to shut out the lights in a flash, and his Division-I, All-American wrestling background is always at the ready. He's dynamic and athletic, and his recent stint as a Fox Sports commentator has allowed him to analyze the game in a different manner, picking and choosing various moves and techniques from his peers to implement for himself.
Lawler's career resurgence is remarkable on its own, though, and he'll likely be the considerable favorite on fight night. The champ's won five straight, the most recent a split-decision victory over Carlos Condit at UFC 195.