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UFC Betting Online: Robbie Lawler has already had two successful title defenses for the UFC welterweight title, and he's going to get a chance to make it three in a row when he takes on Tyron Woodley as the showcase match of UFC 201.
TALE OF THE TAPE
Robbie Lawler
Nickname: Ruthless
Nationality: American
Height: 5-foot-11
Reach: 74 inches
Record: 27-10-1
Knockouts: 20
Submissions: 1
Tyron Woodley
Nickname: T-Wood
Nationality: American
Height: 5-foot-9
Reach: 72 inches
Record: 15-3-0
Knockouts: 5
Submissions: 5
Robbie Lawler Recent Form
Lawler might be on a five-match winning streak, but he's been relatively fortunate almost every step of the way. He beat Carlos Condit via split decision to kick off the new year at UFC 195 in a fight which many thought he legitimately should've lost. It wasn't the only split decision victory he's had of late either. Lawler won the welterweight title via split decision at UFC 181 against Johny Hendricks, too.
That said, this is a man who has a tremendous amount of fight in him. To get into the ring fight after fight is hard enough for wars which last less than the distance. But to get in there for four straight fights and win in five rounds and win every one, whether it be by hook or by crook, is remarkable and the sign of a true champion.
Some of the names who Lawler has put off have been the biggest in the welterweight division. Rory MacDonald, Johny Hendricks, Matt Brown and Jake Ellenberger have all been beaten by Lawler. The Hendricks fight was a particularly big one for Lawler, knowing that he had lost to Hendricks in March 2014 at UFC 171.
Tyron Woodley Recent Form
Woodley hasn't gotten in the octagon since January 2015, and that could be a real problem. It isn't often that you see guys come back from 18 months off and challenge for a title, let alone successfully. Let's not forget that Woodley has never held a belt or a title challenge in his career.
It's also not like Woodley was in great form either. Sure, he won his last two fights before his hiatus against Kelvin Gastelum and Dong Hyun Kim, but it's not like those men are all that special in the welterweight division. The fact that Woodley is ranked No. 3 on the welterweight ladder is because so many under him have failed against the top dogs in the division, Lawler and Rory MacDonald.
Keys to the Fight
These last couple fights for Lawler have been suspect from a statistical standpoint. He was outstruck against Condit 172-92, and he didn't manage a single takedown. That came on the heels of getting outstruck 86-70 by MacDonald.
There's only so many times Lawler can get away with being outpunched and outkicked until he ends up getting beaten.
There's no doubt that Lawler is going to be the favorite in this title fight as the champ, but there's definitely a path to victory for Woodley. He's virtually impossible to take down with a 92 percent takedown defense, and if he isn't taken down by Lawler, he's clearly going to have the striking power to record a knockout. Woodley has to avoid all of the power which Lawler is going to bring to the table, but if he makes this a tactical fight, he's going to have a shot to win this one and seemingly unpredictably capture a belt.
Tyron Woodley's shot to win Robbie Lawler's welterweight championship will come on Saturday, July 30, 2016 at Phillips Arena in Atlanta as one of the showcase bouts for UFC 201.
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