Robbie Lawler took on Rory MacDonald for the second time in his career at UFC 189, and it ended the same way—with the Ruthless One getting his hand raised in victory. The 33-year-old successfully defended his UFC Welterweight Championship via fifth-round TKO in the co-main event of Saturday evening.
MMAjunkie tweeted out the official result:
UFC 189 results: Robbie Lawler def. Rory MacDonald via TKO (punches) - Round 5, 1:00 - to retain welterweight title http://t.co/jgpNT714FD
— MMAjunkie (@MMAjunkie) July 12, 2015
The bout got off to a rather quiet start. MacDonald looked to establish his jab and fight just outside the pocket, and Lawler didn't do much to close the distance. As Josh Gross of ESPN noted, it wasn't an easy round to score:
Tossup opening round. Slightly favor MacDonald. Lots of measuring distance and timing.
— Josh Gross (@yay_yee) July 12, 2015
The second round saw each fighter ratchet things up a bit. The exchanges came much more often, and both fighters landed solid shots. The champion even opened up a cut on the challenger. As noted by Jonathan Snowden of Bleacher Report, it was a round that saw Lawler grab the momentum:
Lawler getting confident and things are getting interesting! Lawler deciding he doesn't have to respect Rory's power #UFC189
— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) July 12, 2015
That trend would carry into Round 3. Lawler continued to put his punches together in combinations to devastating effect. That was until the last minute of the round when MacDonald landed a massive head kick that turned the fight on a dime.
MacDonald continued to tee off until the final bell.
In the fourth round, MacDonald came out like a man who felt like he a was a few strikes from a championship belt. The Canadian started the frame by unloading on the champion.
Lawler showed the heart that made him a champion, though. Despite being rocked, he stayed the course, survived the onslaught and continued to exchange. The bout would move to a fifth round.
The fifth frame truly became the championship round, as a fired-up Lawler went for the knockout and got it. A huge left hand sent MacDonald to the canvas and defended the belt.
The win for Lawler is just another example of his beating the odds in his second UFC stint. Since returning to the organization, he has gone 6-1, including a win over Johny Hendricks to win the championship belt. Yet, he came into this bout as a slight underdog against a man he's defeated once already, according to Odds Shark.
That's a mistake oddsmakers aren't likely to make again. This win not only gives him two over MacDonald but makes it five wins against welterweights in the Top 10 of the UFC rankings.
Even if it does happen again, Lawler won't care.
"That's just the way it is. Maybe they're seeing something that I'm not seeing. Everyone's got an opinion and not all of them are good ones," Lawler said regarding his underdog status heading into the fight, per Damon Martin of Fox Sports. "I'm excited to showcase that I'm the better man. Plain and simple."
That Lawler was able to do just that has to be frustrating for MacDonald. The 25-year-old has seemed destined for the title for years, but this loss makes his path to the title even more difficult. After two losses to the champion, it's going to be difficult to market a trilogy fight unless he goes on a tear.
Instead, the trilogy to make could be Hendricks vs. Lawler. The former champion and current king have exchanged a combined 535 significant strikes with each other in 10 rounds of action. Both fights were instant classics.
Since Lawler took the title from him in the rematch, Bigg Rigg has defeated Matt Brown via unanimous decision. Given the quality of his two bouts against Lawler, that could be enough to get him back in the title picture.
When he does, it'll be interesting to see just who is favored. One thing is certain, though: Lawler will bring the fight regardless. It's what took him from journeyman to champion, and it's what made him a reigning champion at UFC 189.
