Two years ago, if someone had suggested that by the end of July 2014, Robbie Lawler –fresh off a unanimous decision loss to Lorenz Larkin that dropped his Strikeforce record to 3-5 — would have already fought for the UFC welterweight title and be one win away from earning a return bout for the strap, you would have thought they were crazy.
Not even the most diehard supporters of the Miletich Fighting Systems product would have believed that Lawler was capable of making a run at championship gold on the biggest stage in the sport, but that is exactly what he’s done.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Watch UFC on FOX 12 Saturday on Sportsnet 360 with prelims starting at 6 p.m. EST and the main card at 8 p.m. EST
The word “resurgence” has been affixed to the 32-year-old from the second he stopped Josh Koscheck at UFC 157. At the time, no one knew whether that victory was the start of something special or a one-time performance that offered one more look at the promise and potential the once heralded prospect brought to the cage before another tailspin ensued.
His performance turned out to be the genuine article — a return to contention and the hard-nosed style that led many to believe he would wear UFC gold earlier in his career. Though he’s since challenged for the vacant welterweight title and is on the brink of earning a second opportunity to vie for his first UFC title, it’s still hard to fathom just how big of a turnaround Lawler has managed in the last two years.
When you glance at his Strikeforce resume, it doesn’t look all that bad.
Sure he went 3-5 over an eight-fight run from June 2009 through July 2012, but each of those losses came against quality competition — Jake Shields, Babalu Sobral, Jacare Souza, Tim Kennedy and Lorenz Larkin. Of the group, Larkin is the least distinguished, but at the time, “Da Monsoon” was unbeaten at the time and still considered a quality prospect. Also, none of those losses took place in Lawler’s natural 170-pound division.
While first-round knockout victories over Melvin Manhoef, Matt Lindland and Adlan Amagov provided a glimpse of the Lawler of old — a one-shot knockout artist with a frightening offensive arsenal — it was how he looked in those losses that really made you question what “Ruthless” had left in the tank when he washed up on the shores of the UFC prior to his bout with Koscheck.
There were a couple times in his Strikeforce stint where he nodded off during pre-fight press conferences, his hat tugged down over his eyes, seemingly devoid of interest in the event taking place or the fight on the horizon.
There were times where he looked defeated as he stepped into the cage too — a fighter certain of his fate before the bout had even begun. His Strikeforce wins showed he still had some spark left inside of him, but Lawler seemed resigned to a future as a main card fixture with mixed results.
It has been anything but since he returned to the Octagon.
Lawler has gone 4-1 during his second tour of duty in the UFC, earning victories over Koscheck, Bobby Voelker and Rory MacDonald prior to coming out on the wrong side of the close decision opposite Johny Hendricks when the two battled for the vacant welterweight title earlier this year at UFC 171.
Following the loss, Lawler got right back into the cage and posted another victory, dominating perennial contender Jake Ellenberger from the outset before finishing “The Juggernaut” midway through the final round.
Though he looks the same physically, you can see subtle differences in his approach that illustrate where this resurgence has come from.
During his media workout for his fight with Voelker, the guy that had previously caught 40 winks on the dais and rarely had much to say in interviews was slinging good-natured comebacks at vocal fans. When he spoke with the assembled media, it was clear that this was a different Lawler than the one who was competing under the Strikeforce banner for the previous three years. There was a flash in his eyes that showed everything he was saying about being happy to be back on the big stage and getting another chance to prove himself was completely true, a sentiment he hasn’t stopped echoing since returning.
Inside the Octagon, he’s the same ferocious striker with an ironclad chin and devious smirk, but there is a patience and flow to his game now that wasn’t there in the past.
At times, Lawler used to hunt for the knockout shot. Now, he chains together combinations, rips big kicks to the body and offers upstairs when his opponents are readying for another low kick. Instead of trying to finish with every strike, he picks his spots, doing damage with each blow and swarming when he senses a finish is imminent.
And his conditioning has been outstanding, which is a surprise to anyone that saw the 185-pound version of Lawler prodding around the Strikeforce cage.
Two years ago, he appeared destined to spend his 30s as another veteran competitor trading on his name, alternating wins and losses and settling in as another once promising fighter that never managed to harness his skills and reach his full potential.
Now, he’s one of the top welterweights in the world. A fighter with a renewed focus that has finally delivered on his youthful potential and stands a win away from securing his second shot at the UFC welterweight title.
That kind of turnaround is beyond resurgent. It’s amazing.