UFC 195: Robbie Lawler vs. Carlos Condit – A Closer Look

If you are the Ultimate Fighting Championship and wish to ring in 2016 the best way possible , you probably do it by putting together a world championship title fight in the “Fight Capitol of the World” and have it headlined by two of the most vicious and violent welterweights in recent memory. Well, that just so happens to be exactly how things will go down this New Year’s weekend when UFC 170lbs belt holder, Robbie Lawler defends his crown against former Interim UFC champion, Carlos Condit from inside the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. Strikers extraordinaire meet in what is sure to be a memorable fire fight with the ultimate price on the line, UFC gold, only heightening this extremely early candidate for 2016’s “Fight of the Year”. Here is a closer look at what to expect when Lawler and Condit step inside the cage this weekend for the UFC 195 main event from the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

The seeds of “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler’s (26-10) professional MMA career were planted back in April of 2001 as a 170-pound fighter before he made his UFC debut in 2002. The then Pat Miletich standout had some mild success before leaving the Octagon to battle in other promotions moving up in weight to 185-pounds but came up short against the division’s elite in Tim Kennedy and ex-Strikeforce champions; Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Jake Shields along the way.

Then in 2013 everything drastically changed. Lawler returned to the UFC simultaneously dropping back down to 170lbs. The Coconut Creek, Florida resident’s new approach to his profession generated impressive results as he has since lost only 1 of his last 8 matches, knocking out 4 of those victims along the way. The warpath has not only boosted his confidence but earned him his much sought after UFC title which he initially missed out on when he fought and lost to Johny Hendricks when it was vacated in 2013 by Georges St. Pierre. “Ruthless” Robbie rematched Hendricks last December scooping up the strap at UFC 181. He defended it in July of this year via 5th Round TKO of Rory MacDonald in what was considered the 2015 “Fight of the Year”. The classic, bloody, back and forth war was purely savage in nature leaving Lawler with a busted open lip and swollen eye and MacDonald requiring surgery to fix a broken nose and foot.

Robbie Lawler has recently become a larger than life character inside the Octagon within the span of just two short years. This “Part 2” of his legacy however, undoubtedly eclipses the first one that sprouted over a decade ago. If any fighter of his generation traveled the waters of combat with an optimistic frame of mind it was “The Ruthless One” who relentlessly aspired to achieve success and good fortune. He’s done it on his own terms and you cannot take away the champion’s experience, Octagon IQ and calmness in countless big fight situations. Since his return to the roster, Lawler has been peppered throughout the main cards, starred in the co-main event or headlined a UFC show while looking increasingly better each time out. Now, with a fresh opponent in his crosshairs the seasoned pro seeks to continue carving out his coveted second run under the Zuffa banner.

“The Natural Born Killer” Carlos Condit’s (30-8) roots in professional MMA date back to September of 2002 before he made his UFC debut in 2009. Fighting strictly as a welterweight, he battled in every noteworthy organization from Pancrase, King of the Cage, Rumble on the Rock to World Extreme Cagefighting. The New Mexico native had solid success picking up and defending on multiple occasions his Rumble on the Rock and WEC welterweight championships.

Then, the time came for him to set foot inside the Octagon in a much anticipated move to the big league. Unfortunately, he came up short in his debut against Martin Kampmann via split decision but it was only a minor setback as he rattled off 4 consecutive TKO victories afterwards. Two of them were over UFC title contenders Dan Hardy and Rory MacDonald inside the distance. The win streak leveraged him a 2012 Interim UFC welterweight title fight in Las Vegas opposite ex-Strikeforce champion, Nick Diaz, going the 5 rounds, winning on points. Sadly, the roadblocks returned in the form of unanimous decision losses to Pound for Pound great, Georges St. Pierre, in their unification title bout then to Johny Hendricks in early 2013. “The Natural Born Killer” regrouped in the fall avenging his early UFC career loss by dismantling Martin Kampmann by way of 4th round TKO in a finish as brutal as it was beautiful thanks to his diverse striking. The pride of Albuquerque did not see action until a 2014 defeat at UFC 171 where incidentally a torn ACL against Tyron Woodley put him on the shelf for a year. He rallied back this past May with a vintage offensively skilled and methodically calculated Condit performance over Thiago Alves, prompting a TKO via doctor stoppage in 2 rounds. Now, on course for the one title that has eluded him for over a decade, Condit can start the year off on a high note with a shiny new piece of jewelry to go in his trophy case.

If there was ever a cross roads match-up cluttered with more similarities in styles, attacks and killer instincts, you’d be hard pressed to find it. The challenger has been hardened time and time again transforming into a seasoned player inside the ring, not once falling totally out of the equation regarding his relativity at the top of the division. Condit’s tendency to over indulge in vivid violence as we well as extravagant highlight reel finishes makes him almost a mirror image of his foe on Saturday night. But, therein lays the question: what will Condit do when facing an opponent every bit his equal but slightly more sharpened and refined in every aspect of the game?

There is no denying Condit’s tenacity and work ethic to claw his way to the top but how many times can he make that climb? He has proven odds makers wrong on numerous occasions while picking up championships on his journey. Still, it’s the UFC’s unified welterweight world title that has escaped him and it’s now or never for the New Mexican. Lawler ferociously both picked up his belt and defended it in Las Vegas, Condit won his Interim championship in but that was a cautious outing over a formidable foe whose aggression was used against him. The champion has lived up to every bit of his “Ruthless” moniker feeding off of his opponent’s aggression so can Condit make it another tactical bout and rely on the judges or does he risk it all to claim what he feel is rightfully his?

Experts love to crunch the numbers since betting is perfectly legal in Sin City and its worth pointing out that with a combined 56 victories 49 of them have come via stoppage therefore this title tilt will definitely be one for the ages. Also, champion Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit have acquired multiple “Fight of the Night” bonuses as well as “KO of the Night” bonuses. Why don’t we wager that they’ll snatch up one more this weekend as they headline the UFC 195 PPV from the MGM Grand Garden Arena with the 170-pound UFC world welterweight title on the line?