UFC 201 Aftermath: Reflecting on Robbie Lawler’s legendary run

No disrespect to Tyron Woodley, who certainly earned his moment in the sun by winning the UFC welterweight title with a first-round knockout of Robbie Lawler on Saturday night in Atlanta.

But the morning after UFC 201, I find myself admiring just what the former champion has managed to accomplish over the past three years, because we may never see anything like it again.

Imagine, here in 2016, a young, talented fighter on the roster with star potential — say a Cody Garbrandt or a Max Holloway — inexplicably going on a big losing streak and washing out of the company. Then imagine that fighter returning to the UFC in 2025 and not just going all the way to a championship, but also putting on a string of legendary fights in the process.

Sounds pretty implausible, right? But that’s what Lawler managed to accomplish since his second UFC stint started in 2013.

The fighter who used to coast on his considerable talents transformed into one who always seemed capable of turning it up to 11. Lawler was never going to be an Anderson Silva or a Georges St-Pierre, a titleholder who was laps ahead of the rest of the class.

Instead, he was the UFC’s throwback champion, a guy whose fists did the talking during an age in which hype and bullsh*t are regarded as every bit as important as the product in the Octagon. Lawler didn’t have to talk you out of your $59.99. You simply knew your sixty bucks were going to be well spent when he was on the card.

When all’s said and done, Lawler could end up with Fight of the Year honors an unprecedented three consecutive years: The razor-thin loss to Johny Hendricks at UFC 171 in 2014; the fifth-round TKO of Rory MacDonald in what might be the greatest MMA fight of all-time last year at UFC 189; and the thrilling battle with Carlos Condit at UFC 195 on Jan. 2 of this year.

Lawler was bound to lose eventually, and it happened with a shocking suddenness against Woodley. We’re not saying this is the end for Lawler. But if it does turn out he never again wears UFC gold, his era was worth remembering, because it will like be a long time, if ever, before we ever see something similar.

UFC 201 quotes

“Nick Diaz is a top-five welterweight of all time in my eyes. Georges St-Pierre is the No. 1 welterweight in my eyes. If I’m an athlete in this sport, in this division and I want to say I’m the best in the world, I feel like I should compete against those guys.” — New champ Woodley on where he wants to go from here.

“With the UFC, we had cut him. He flew out to Las Vegas and he met with me and said, ‘Don’t cut me, please.’ He said, ‘Give me one more shot. I promise I will come out and deliver.'” — UFC president Dana White, detailing …

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