UFC WAR OF 04 FIGHTER PROFILE: ROBBIE LAWLER

[Oddessa]

CAREER MAKE OR BREAK FOR LAWLER?

UFC WAR OF 04 FIGHTER PROFILE: ROBBIE LAWLER

By Ken Pishna, MMAWeekly.com

Robbie Lawler enters the Octagon this Friday night in one of the biggest fights of his young career. He will square off against a fighter half-again as old as he is and with three and a half times the experience, Evan Tanner.

This fight is huge for Lawler in many ways. For one, he has lost two of his last three fights including a knockout at the hands of Nick Diaz at UFC 47. Another considerable factor is that Lawler is moving out of his usual 170-pound weight class up into the much heavier 185-pound weight class.

Lawler is growing up physically and growing out of the shadow of his teammate Matt Hughes, the reigning force of the 170-pounders.

Lawler is a very good striker with a solid wrestling base that trains with an amazing team. At Miletich Fighting Systems, he works with Jeremy Horn on grappling, Pat Miletich on striking, and spars withJens Pulver. That team experience and his striking are going to have to carry him through this one if he hopes to win.

His opponent also has the support of an excellent team. Tanner trains with Randy Couture, Matt Lindland, Dan Henderson, and the rest of Team Quest. He also has excellent striking skills (especially his knees and forearms), a wealth of wrestling knowledge, and is very skilled at submission.

This is a very tall order for Lawler. His best bet is going to be to do whatever he can to stay on his feet and play to his strength, his striking. I don’t think he can outwrestle or submit the much more experienced Tanner. Even outstriking him will be difficult, but Lawler has that brutish power that, if he connects with it, he could knock Tanner out.

On the ground, Tanner’s experience and knowledge should out weigh whatever Lawler brings to the table. If this one goes to the ground, look for Tanner to dominate.

If Lawler loses this one, it would be three of his last four. Although he is a very exciting fighter, that may not be enough to keep him on the UFC roster with that many recent losses. He may have to move down and earn his way back in.

A win here is huge for Lawler. Not only does it keep him in the UFC, but it also establishes him in the middleweight division and maybe more importantly gives him an identity of his own. During his time in the UFC, he has had to wait in the shadow of Matt Hughes. If he beats Tanner, he establishes himself as the Miletich representative in the 185-pound class.

ROBBIE LAWLER BIO (Provided by UFC)
Nickname: Ruthless
Age-DOB: 22 - 3/20/1982
Fighting out of: Davenport, Iowa
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 185 lbs
Weightclass: Middleweight
MMA Record: 8-2-0
UFC Record: 4-2-0
Style: Miletich Fighting Systems

UFC History:
At UFC 37 (5/10/02), Robbie defeated Aaron Riley in a grueling three-round war. It was a unanimous decision victory and many people feel it is one of the best five fights in UFC history.

At UFC 37.5 (6/22/02), Robbie knocked out Steve Berger at just under 30 seconds into the second round with a vicious combination of punches.

At UFC 40 (11/22/02), Robbie knocked out Tiki at 1:29 of the very first round in impressive fashion.

At UFC 42 (4/25/03), Robbie's first loss came against Pete "The Secret Weapon" Spratt. Lawler suffered a hip injury that forced him to quit at 2:28 of the second round.

At UFC 45 (11/21/03), Robbie defeated Chris Lytle by a unanimous decision in a back-and-forth battle.

"I thought I did well... I thought I won the exchanges, even though I backpedaled, I think I won every round.”

At UFC 47 (4/2/04), Robbie was knocked out by Nick Diaz in 1:31 of the second round.

Strengths:
Powerful, explosive, good striking ability and takedown defense

Training:
"A lot of footwork, movement, and long days on the heavy bag. Grappling with Jeremy Horn. Pads with Pat Miletich. Sparring with Jens Pulver and Tony Fryklund. Working out in the mornings with Jacen
Flynn. Doing a lot of sprints and a lot of lifting."

“It feels good to be big again. I'm not worried about his size or strength"

Thoughts on opponent: Evan Tanner
"Evan Tanner is a tough guy but he will fall when I hit him."

Other:
When and why did you start fighting?
"When I was little, my dad got me into martial arts (Tae Kwon Do). Then, I moved to Iowa and started wrestling. Pat [Miletich] would come in to the wrestling room and work out with us before his fights. I wrestled around with him for a little bit and then he told me to come up."

What is your biggest weapon in a fight?
"My determination to win."

What are your goals as a fighter in the UFC?
“To keep winning. To move up in the ranks and wait for my turn."

What is your favorite technique?
"My stand up. Throwing power punches."

Who has been your biggest influence in fighting?
"Mike Tyson, because of his knockout power. The first boxing match I ever watched was Tyson vs. Spinks. After that, I was hooked. I just like his power and tenacity and how he fights everyone like they stole something from him."