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- Nov 16, 2013
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I am a huge fan of Robbie Lawler. I have trained in various martial arts since I was 9 years old and I became a fan of MMA in the mid to late 90's. Robbie Lawler, in the early 00's was my favourite young fighter. He was knocking men out and fought with a fervour and a savagery that his opponents could rarely match.
His huge weakness was always being taken down and defending against submission attempts.
I followed his career and I knew he was not in for good times ahead when he moved up to Middleweight. He was diminishing any mechanical advantages he had at WW and became either an ordinarily sized MW or outsized by his opponents.
Anyway, Robbie has always had great movement, great striking and ungodly knockout power.
However, when you try to look at the best route to beat him, it is clearly either to ground out a decision or to submit him.
Lawler has only ever been knocked out ONCE in his career and that was by NICK DIAZ of all people. A wonderful precision shot to Lawler's jaw that rocked, knocked him down and although he popped back up it left him staggered and disorientated. Other than than one knockout he has eaten bigger shots from more powerful strikers and from physically larger men than Diaz. Lawler has also improved his TDD and surviving from the bottom.
I havent seen much of Hendricks submission game and he only has one win via submission. Hendricks tends to finish opponents, with 8 of his wins coming by KO laying testament to this. The rest of his wins (6) have come via decision.
So, does anyone think Hendricks will look to win this on the feet? Will he look to take Lawler down and grind out a decision? Does anyone think Hendricks will underestimate Lawler and Lawler could sneak in and knock Bigg Rigg out?
How do you guys think the fight should go and how do you see both fighter's best chances unfolding?
His huge weakness was always being taken down and defending against submission attempts.
I followed his career and I knew he was not in for good times ahead when he moved up to Middleweight. He was diminishing any mechanical advantages he had at WW and became either an ordinarily sized MW or outsized by his opponents.
Anyway, Robbie has always had great movement, great striking and ungodly knockout power.
However, when you try to look at the best route to beat him, it is clearly either to ground out a decision or to submit him.
Lawler has only ever been knocked out ONCE in his career and that was by NICK DIAZ of all people. A wonderful precision shot to Lawler's jaw that rocked, knocked him down and although he popped back up it left him staggered and disorientated. Other than than one knockout he has eaten bigger shots from more powerful strikers and from physically larger men than Diaz. Lawler has also improved his TDD and surviving from the bottom.
I havent seen much of Hendricks submission game and he only has one win via submission. Hendricks tends to finish opponents, with 8 of his wins coming by KO laying testament to this. The rest of his wins (6) have come via decision.
So, does anyone think Hendricks will look to win this on the feet? Will he look to take Lawler down and grind out a decision? Does anyone think Hendricks will underestimate Lawler and Lawler could sneak in and knock Bigg Rigg out?
How do you guys think the fight should go and how do you see both fighter's best chances unfolding?
