UFC 173 results, photos: Robbie Lawler brutalizes Jake Ellenberger for TKO

LAS VEGAS – For nearly three full rounds Robbie Lawler battered Jake Ellenberger with hooks and kicks, applying a constant pressure that wore Ellenberger down as it lumped him up.

After one particularly sharp right hand in the final round, Ellenberger (29-8 MMA, 8-4 UFC) winced in a way that let Lawler (23-10 MMA, 8-4 UFC) know the end was near. Seconds later, with Ellenberger collapsing after eating a hard knee, referee Herb Dean concurred, stepping in to wave it off at 3:06 of Round 3.

The welterweight fight was part of today’s UFC 173 main card at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Lawler controlled the fight from start to finish, out-striking a cautious Ellenberger in the first round and meeting his intensity when a more desperate Ellenberger attempted to up the tempo later in the fight. As Ellenberger threw with increasing recklessness in the third, Lawler fired right back, sending him wobbling backward under the strain.

The right hand jab popped Ellenberger’s head back midway through the third, and the pain was evident on his face. After a knee from Lawler against the fence, Ellenberger dropped to the mat and covered up, with Lawler following him down and adding the final few punches to convince Dean that the fight was over.

Afterward, Lawler made it known that his focus is still on the UFC welterweight title. With a dominant performance like that, it might not be long until he gets another crack at it.

Lawler gets back in the win column for the first time since his decision loss to current champ Johny Hendricks. Ellenberger has now lost two straight.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 173 results include:

• Robbie Lawler def. Jake Ellenberger via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 3:06
• Takeya Mizugaki def. Francisco Rivera via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
• James Krause def. Jamie Varner via TKO (injury) – Round 1, 5:00
• Michael Chiesa def. Francisco Trinaldo via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
• Tony Ferguson def. Katsunori Kikuno via TKO (punch) – Round 1, 4:06
• Chris Holdsworth def. Chico Camus via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Mitch Clarke def. Al Iaquinta via submission (D’Arce choke) – Round 2, 4:57
• Vinc Pichel def. Anthony Njokuani via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Sam Sicilia def. Aaron Phillips via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
• Jingliang Li def. David Michaud via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

For full coverage of UFC 173, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

(Matt Erickson and John Morgan contributed to this report on-site in Las Vegas.)