Here is a note to up and coming fighters in mixed martial arts. If referee John McCarthy, who has been around the game since day one, asks you if you can continue follow the lead of Robbie Lawler (26-10). There is no denying this is the most brutal sport in the mainat the moment which is why we love it so much. Though there are times when a fighter just can’t go and ultimately gives up in defeat. Don’t think that is the case for welterweight champion Robbie Lawler. After being stung by a vicious head kick from Rory MacDonald (18-3) “Big John” asked him repeatedly if he was still good to continue. To which Lawler fired back yes in a way that had us all feeling that he knew something we all didn’t perceive during the fight. That he is one bad ass individual.
UFC legend Matt Hughes once said you don’t officially become a champion until you successfully defend your belt. At UFC 189 Robbie did so in stellar fashion after it looked as if he would ultimately fall to his Canadian counterpart. Most men would have thrown in the towel after the myriad of attacks from MacDonald. A front leg kick, jab and kick to the head found “Ruthless” repeatedly through the course of the early rounds. Once the initial leg kick stifled Lawler many thought it was only a matter of time before MacDonald would be raising his hand as the new welterweight champion.
Not so fast, as Robbie slowly refound his poise and pressed forward knowing that all he needed was a little more time to fulfill his game plan. The game plan was the nose and even though the volume was on the side of Rory, Lawler touched the nose with his pinpoint accuracy that seems to improve with each fight. With the looming main event that everyone was waiting for, these two fighters truly stole the show and made this one of the best fights in UFC history, thanks to John McCarthy. Of course the fighters deserve all the credit but one has to wonder what would have happen if "Big John" stopped that fight. It was clear Robbie was hurt and his face is not too much better than the aftermath that was Rory’s face, that we would later see. He pressed on and hit one more jab that exploded MacDonald’s nose, leading to pain and blood rushing that was too much as it sent him sprawling backwards with his hands up to the canvas.
That is the beauty of the sport. That even when you think the tables have turned and one athlete is on their way to victory it can all be spoiled in an instant. Sunday’s TUF 21 Finale may not have been a win for American Top Team but their proud 170 champion returns home with his belt intact.
So much hype around the main event did a disservice to this welterweight title defense and that’s the irony involved with this being the better fight. Hopefully this prompts the UFC to remember that not one champion is better than the other no matter how much they can draw. So while the main event is being riddled with proposed “fight fixing” scandals and “what if” questions galore, the co-main event was hands down the best thing of the night. What’s next for Lawler may be the impending trilogy fight with Johny Hendricks. The previous two matchups were closely contested affairs but with the recent performance of Lawler it will be hard to not pick him as a favorite. The MMA gods responded to the lack of attention paid to these two fighters by giving us a bout that will never be forgotten. So while the night may have been perceived to belong to Conor McGregor, in regards to the actual fights Robbie Lawler is the true star of UFC 189.