Issue 144
August 2016
Who will be left standing with the belt when ATT teammates collide at UFC 201 in Atlanta?
Robbie Lawler vs Tyron Woodley
The last time the Octagon arrived at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, two former teammates collided in a 205lb title match that destroyed a friendship, divided a gym and left one athlete in the MMA wilderness. At UFC 145 in April 2012, Jon Jones defeated former training partner and friend Rashad Evans to retain the light heavyweight belt. It was ugly and spiteful from start to finish and to this day, bitterness remains.
Fast forward four years to the same venue and UFC 201 headliners Robbie Lawler and Tyron Woodley are also familiar with each other, but this time they still call the same gym home. Though don’t think that just because they both train out of American Top Team they won’t throw down for the biggest prize in the welterweight division with anything less than lethal intentions. This is one fight where violence is guaranteed.
FO asked three industry experts for their take on the 170lb title match-up that promises fireworks from the first bell to the last.
Picking Robbie Lawler
Leister Bowling
Head coach at Elevation Fight Team in Colorado
Many people are pointing out the fact that Robbie Lawler and Tyron Woodley are teammates. But while they are based at the same facility, they aren’t really teammates. They represent the same team at American Top Team but I don’t think they use the same coaches and they probably haven’t trained together much at all over the course of their time there. I don’t see it being a problem in this particular fight.
As far as the fight itself is concerned, this is going to be a very fun fight to watch – a lot better than I believe a lot of fans are expecting. Woodley is going to try to take Lawler down early and often and try to hold him down for as long as he can, for the majority of the fight, if possible. But that’s not going to be easy.
Robbie has such great takedown defence, as he has shown over the course of his career, and I’m not sure Woodley has the cardio to keep up that gruelling style of fighting for the full five rounds. If he can, Woodley wins the fight by way of a decision.
But if he can’t, I see him fading in the later rounds and that’s Robbie’s world. If pushed, I see Robbie winning the fight via TKO in the fourth round and holding on to his UFC championship belt.
Picking Robbie Lawler
Matt Brown
Leading UFC welterweight contender
This is the type of fight in which Lawler will shine. It’s really not a hard fight for him at all, easily the easiest of his title reign, that’s for sure.
He’s such a hard guy to take down and he’s obviously got the tools to knock Woodley out on the feet too. It really is something of a gimme fight for the champion.
Of course, Woodley, does have some power. In the early rounds he is a threat with his striking. But that’s about it and Lawler knows that as well as anybody. Woodley’s really just a three-round fighter.
Don’t get me wrong, I respect him as a fighter. But he just matches up badly against Lawler. It’s just not a good match for Woodley
In the fourth and fifth rounds he’s going to find that out. You can’t come back from 18 months out to face a guy like Robbie Lawler. You just can’t. And that ring rust will come back to haunt Woodley too.
His only chance is if the wars Robbie has been in since he became champion have taken their toll on him and he’s damaged goods. But it doesn’t look like that’s the case just yet.
Picking Robbie Lawler
Brandon Halsey
NCAA Division 1 All-American & former Bellator champ
While I expect this title fight to be a real battle, I have to go with the champ on this one. Lawler has been on such a tear in his last five fights – including the war with Carlos Condit at UFC 195 and the absolutely insane battle against Rory MacDonald at UFC 189 last summer.
Those fights proved he’s more than capable to push on for five round championship fights every single time he steps into the cage.
Woodley is very, very tough, though. He has got great all around skills. He has super speed and he’s also very dynamic. But if you watch the beating he took from Rory MacDonald in their fight I think you see the cracks in his game that Lawler is going to exploit in Atlanta.
For a minute I didn’t realize they were even teammates. That makes things interesting. But they both swing so hard I don’t think anything can be going through their minds except getting the ‘W’.
This will be a bruising fight that will most likely go into the championship rounds. But it will end with a brutal TKO win for Robbie Lawler in the closing stages.
Mark Of A Champ
Ruthless efficiency
Often outstruck, never outgunned. Robbie Lawler has landed fewer significant strikes than three of his last four opponents (Carlos Condit, Rory MacDonald and Matt Brown) but won every fight.
Who are you backing?
Tell us who you believe will be leaving Atlanta with the belt on social media using: #FOmag
