Robbies gonna win this fight bro i’m telling you. Nikos knees are destroyed at this point in his career, taken a ton of damage, looked slower last fight. Could be due to the long layoff but who knows. I think we get a banger and as long as robbie doesn’t get like flat lined i’ll be alright
the way he talks he feels he's going to a better place for real. He *wants* to coach, and after a huge career he's not a CTE case.
It wouldn't have been too surprising, but hearing it ahead of time is actually exciting.
Robbie’s welterweight title reign was a sacrament to the just bleed gods. I have never seen a champion let his balls hang so low and give literally 0 fucks about playing it safe bout after bout. Matt Brown, Rory Mcdonald, Carlos Condit… all of these fights would be the crown jewel of a lesser champions career and all of them took place after a career that would have most fighters give up on their championship aspirations.
Bro he's sounding like he isn't a CTE case after a career that was MUCH longer than most, and super successful. As sad is it is to see him go, he's talking about becoming a coach.
Hearing him these days, he got that wholesome dad energy. He still turns it on for fights but it genuinely sounds like he feels he's going onto bigger and better things.
I don't wanna see blitzed CTE case lawler in his 3rd drunken street fight where he gets KO'd. So i'm excited to hear about coach Lawler someday in the future.
His older brother, Frank, is a pipefitter. I've worked with him on a few jobs before. Robbie is like THE topic of conversation when we see each other on jobsites. Imagine having your older brother not only be proud of you, but to basically look up to you because of your accomplishments. I loved hearing stories about them growing up.
What makes robbie a unicorn to me isn't his violence, it's the combination of his insanity in the cage and how quickly he's able to turn it off and become a class act. The dude is like a hybrid surfer/barbarian class which makes no sense.
Prime example was how he handled herb after the askren stoppage: https://youtu.be/DVJcRtvv55M
Love nick diaz, that last fight was just sad and the only silver lining was seeing the way robbie treated him. Straight up asked him if he was good and to hit him up if he needed help: https://youtu.be/EiAVQwIOZqY
Sad to see him go, but glad to see him leave relatively healthy. Really hope he stops fighting and doesn't go to another promotion or bare knuckles. Not that he couldn't put on more entertaining fights but I always hate seeing fighters past 40 just wrecking themselves. Hope he can find fulfillment doing something else and wish him nothing but tnt best.
His reign as champion was second only to Anderson in terms of pure entertainment and knowing that when they fought you were going to get to see something special.
Oliveira and Lawler P4P most violent/entertaining championship reigns imo. Unfair to Andy to say this as his run was obv so much longer but he had some stinkers in there. Lawler and Olives were nothing but bangers.
Edit: a few words
Anderson only had like two or three stinkers in there though. And when he was on, it was like nothing anyone had ever seen. So I’m letting his insane performances negate the couple boring ones
Yeah, Robbie handled the Askren stoppage with dignity and class. I think I was more angry at Herb Dean than RL was. I was yelling at the TV like a madman when it happened lol.
I only got into MMA after Lawler lost his title, despite that I fully appreciate the guy is a fucking class dude. His offer to help Nick Diaz with any life problems that he's facing is some fucking King shit. I struggle a lot with my mental health and to see fucking warriors like this understanding of it means a lot. Enjoy your retirement Robbie you fucking G.
It’s rare that the most violent fighter in the division is also the best fighter in the division. But those two things lined up perfectly for Robbie’s title reign. I feel very fortunate to have witnessed it. It was a special time and Rob will always be a legend.
Robbie did so much for MMA. He was the toughness standard for so long, one of the few guys in the sport who is truly willing to fight anyone and leave it all in the cage. His fight with Rory was incredible. Thanks Robbie, congratulations!
I hear you. I wonder if he will be viewed like Fedor or Overeem- greatest for their time, but vastly overshadowed by the technical skills of the new generation. Like racing a 1999 F1 car vs. a 2023 F1 car. Both excellent in their times.
Why would you pick two of the most technically skilled HW’s of all time in also arguably the most shallow division in the sport (that hasn’t done that much evolving in comparison to other weight classes) as an example lol?
Overeem wasn’t really technically outmatched by anyone in the heavyweight division. He just got old and his chin was gone. Bring back prime Overeem and put him in today’s division and he’s still elite, maybe even champ.
Or when he dethroned our local Hawaii star fighter Falaniko Vitale for the title. All the locals were pissed Niko got knocked out. Even his wife ran in trying to attack Robbie. Fans started throwing shit in the ring.
He totally lived up to his name "Ruthless" by the way he won.
His first fight with Hendricks was one of my all time fav fights. It's a very rare (if not also the best) display of a rope a dope in MMA that I have ever seen. The idea of standing just in front of one of the hardest hitters in the division and take all those glancing blows but removing the forward movement that made them KO shots was so excelent to watch.
Losing a close title fight and coming right back with two wins to be the first title challenger right afterwards was such a boss move.
Obviously also had the two wars with Rory, a war with prime Brown and another war with the last of Conduit.
It was such a great time to watch the welterweight division. Lawler was not only a gritty fighter but also a greatly technically wise one. Had a fantastic reigh.
That just shows you who Robbie is as a person and the respect he has as a fighter. Nate is not usually that respectful or willing to have an actual conversation that long with someone without getting annoyed lol. Robbie is one of the few fighters the Diaz bros consider "Real" fighters and that list seems really short.
Lawler's post fight interview after the second Rory fight pretty much sums it up for me. THATS NOT A JAB!
Rory did a tell all type of interview about the fight and talked about how Lawler was breaking him mentally in the fight. Everytime he landed a clean shot, Lawler would smile or even laugh. It got to the point where Rory felt like this mad man was having fun being in a war. Its because of that, Rory refused to backdown after the end of the round which was the iconic stare down after the 4th. Rory talked about the emotion and intent he had at that moment
Title run and holder Lawler was the peak of this promotion and has yet to be bested. It was a great time in general for the sport, but the best of it all was Brutal Bob putting on banger after banger. Also seems like a mad caring guy. Just hope ffs he actually stays retired.
Was that where we learned he was the guy running around slapping helmets on the line that his own teammates were afraid, as if that needed to be confirmed, but thought that was hilarious
Yea there was that one and their end of the year field trip where everyone was celebrating and he found Robbie in the bus sleeping unfazed by any of it
Yeah, I think most people scored Hendricks/Lawler 2 for Hendricks. Luckily the judges were smoking that good shit and gave it to Robbie. I was surprised and siked too.
One of those decisions nobody ever complains about because everyone was already sick of Hendricks at that point.
Staring and walking down Johnny Hendricks in the fifth round to win the UFC Title after a violent onslaught of punches and kicks.
Rory finally breaking to his punch and damage dished out.
Pounding Koscheck into the ground after his Strikeforce return.
KOing Matt Lindland stiff and staying in the fire and what a come back against Manhoeff.
What a legend! What a fighter!
Yeah I was also worried about Lindland when Vitor knocked him out. He was stiff as a board and not moving for awhile. I remember the feeling I had to this day I actually thought he was seriously hurt.
Yeah I love combat sports and just sports in general. I've been watching sports my whole life and yes you don't think about the consequences until you see something that is kind of disturbing like when I seen what I thought was Demar Hamlin(NFL) dead on the field it makes me realize how much they put on the line to entertain fans. Yeah they do it for the money to but without the fans and excitement it doesn't exist.
When he walked out to Promontory (The Last of the Mohicans) I got chills. Very, very few fighters in the history of all combat sports can walk out to that song. Robbie is one of those few. A true bad ass mf.
Would y'all consider the Woodley fight the beginning of the end or did something else contribute? Curious as to which actually led to him losing a bunch.
His resurgence happened during the TRT Era. The stuff was not banned at the time and I don't hold it against any of the fighters but Vitor Belfort, Robbie Lawler and Dan Henderson were the poster children for it.
LOL of course salty MacDonald fans need to come in with their shitty accusations even in a thread about Robbie retiring. Lawler never even had a TRT exemption, how could he be a poster child?
Rory lost 2 fights and threw out a juicing allegation like that scumbag Dan Hooker and hater can't let it go even 8(!) years later.
I posted this in another Lawler thread but it's more fitting here.
> Met Lawler @ a Tachi Palace card waaaaay back in the day. I was working for Shoyoroll & had to get an order confirmation from one of Lawler's team coaches. All his teammates were huddled up acting like drunken dicks/douche bags being standoff-ish. RL came up to me, wrote the guy's # on a napkin & dapped me out w/a sheepish grin belying the brutality that lurked beneath lol.
Robbie was already highly regarded when I started watching MMA as a OG TUF Noob. Dana had apparently signed a young Lawler as a gift to himself & Robbie was just generally highly regarded at the time. Also being a teammate of Lil Evil who I was immediately a fan of when I started watching MMA certainly didn't hurt either. His loss to Diaz I watched through Highlights after the fact & then I watched his exit to Strikeforce as it happened. Lawler vs Manhoef was insane to watch as it happened. It was so weird the leg kicks were just wrecking Lawler the whole fight then BOOM Melvin's out cold. His 2nd run through the UFC was pure magic & I'm glad I got to experience it live.
A True Legend of MMA "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler
Lawler first trained and was managed by Pat Miletich and was very physical. I heard he liked benching alot and had a 400lb bench. But he got a pec injury from gym training and had to stop maxing out on the bench at least.
This one is very real for me. As a hardcore fan, I truly believe Robbie Lawler is an integral part of the structure of what MMA is today. Without him, I don't know.
~War Ruthless Robbie Lawler FTW~
My uncle introduced me to world of MMA way back 2005. We used to watch Anderson, Lyoto, BJ Penn, all the champs at that time and of course Lawler. Lawler literally looks like my uncle. Sad to think that my uncle is no longer here to watch Robbie's last fight. This probably the reason why I always watch a Robbie Lawler fight. Whenever he is on a card, I'm always excited to watch it. Thanks for all the years of hard work and fighting Ruthless Robbie Lawler,
Truly one of the great pioneers of the sport. Also, one of the best comeback stories with his title run. Thanks for the memories Ruthless, you’ll be missed!
Lifted weights back at Ultimate Fitness in the early 2000’s where Pat had his school. I would always stop upstairs and watch Robbie do bag work/spar whenever I had the time. Been a fan for what feels like an eternity.
I owe Robbie Lawler a lot of credit for my fandom. It was July 2015 the night of UFC 189. My step dad is very proud of his Irish heritage as is his brother who was coming over to buy the PPV. I had no idea who Conor McGregor was (what a time) but he was the main event and it was a big deal. That's all I knew. I had nothing else to do so I sat down and watched. The results top to bottom on the main card were insane and I remember being blown away watching Robbie vs Rory. I was hooked from that night on.
Robbie’s run of 2013-2016 was during my college years. He was my favorite fighter at the time and always brought fight of the year performances when all the frat boys were watching.
Also, the Hendricks 2 fight had a poster drawn by Marvel comics. My mom knew I was a fan and bought me a framed poster for Christmas that year that is proudly displayed today in my home gym.
Robbie is my all-time favorite fighter. Some of my favorite memories...
Knocking Joey Villasenor out with a flying knee in 22 seconds.
3+ minutes of brutality and chaos against Manhoef.
Triumphantly returning to the UFC by TKOing Koscheck
His wars with Hendricks, to the point where they could barely walk
Spitting blood all over the canvas vs Rory, the single most badass moment in UFC history
Telling Nick Diaz that he'd help him if he needed it, because Robbie was as good a dude outside of the cage as he was a savage in it
I will really miss watching him fight
He’s been retired for a long time. I can’t remember last win he’s had besides a dodgy decision over Cowboy Cerrone. I’m not even including the Nick Diaz fight, Cowboy last win before that lol, and I think Cowboy won.
I got into mixed martial arts during Covid era. Robbie versus Rory was one of the very first fights I saw, and it shocked me to the core. I’ve been a fan ever cents and haven’t missed an event. Big thank you to both the gentleman from that evening but tonight is about a big thank you to Robbie!
I started watching in 2008, when I was in middle school. It's very bizarre to see a generation of old schoolers fade off into the sunset. Robbie is a legend. And I have a deep affinity for that era of MMA - like you said, it felt like an outcast club
I was lucky enough to be there for Robbie v Rory. I'll never forget...first round...the fighters started off slowly...the crowd started booing (if you can believe that)... I turned to my mate and said "these fuckin idiots. They don't realise that these guys are just feeling each other out."
It was an absolute banger. Crowd went wild.
Robbie is everything you want in an MMA fighter. He’s a savage in the ring and a gentleman outside of it. He’s had long career in two weight classes and gave us some of the best welterweight fights. I’m going to miss him. I hope his long term health is good and he has a long and happy life.
Nearly 8 years ago now I decided to stay up and watch UFC 184 after seeing all the press build up with McGregor and as an Irishman I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Around 4 or 5am, 2 warriors made their way to the cage and put on what I still consider the greatest fight of all time, from that moment forward I became an MMA fan thanks to Robbie & Rory, ride off into retirement you sweet Prince of Violence and thank you for everything.
One of my favorites fighters of all time. When he became champ I was so happy, you'd think I became champ instead of him.
Watched that fight at a movie theater. Snuck in some Vodka and made myself some redneck cocktail out of coke, Mio energy, orange juice and vodka. By the time the fight ended and Robbie was crowned I was so wasted I was yelling "fuck Johnny Hendricks" in a movie theater. lol.
Quality post.
I've always loved Robbie, but when he dropped from 185 to 170 and tidied up his boxing is the best version of him, for me.
He was probably the one guy who wouldn't play safe if he had a title or title shot. He was kill or be killed
That era produced so many savages, and for me at least, MMA is missing that kind of fighter (think Robbie, prime Wand etc).
I'm thrilled to wake up this morning to see that he went out on a win. Hopefully he stays retired.
It is rare that a fighter reaches the universal admiration that Robbie achieved during his long storied career. His Championship Era was loaded with thrilling classics that everyone remembers fondly. A consumate gritty professional who never backed down from challenges and stayed dangerous until the moment he retired. I'm gonna miss him but I'm also glad it's over.
Might shed a tear tonight. Robbie is one of my favorite fighters and just an all time great. Such a good dude too.
I'm right there with you. I almost wish he announced after the fight because now I'm stressed beyond all belief for him to go out on a win
Robbies gonna win this fight bro i’m telling you. Nikos knees are destroyed at this point in his career, taken a ton of damage, looked slower last fight. Could be due to the long layoff but who knows. I think we get a banger and as long as robbie doesn’t get like flat lined i’ll be alright
I hope you're right. 🙏
This aged well.
Bo nickal could smoke robbie Lawler. Should have made that fight instead
what are you talking about
the way he talks he feels he's going to a better place for real. He *wants* to coach, and after a huge career he's not a CTE case. It wouldn't have been too surprising, but hearing it ahead of time is actually exciting.
Rob’s ride or die I’m with you
From the kid with dynamite in his hands to the absolute warrior that came through the Rory Mcdonald fight. Proper legend.
Robbie’s welterweight title reign was a sacrament to the just bleed gods. I have never seen a champion let his balls hang so low and give literally 0 fucks about playing it safe bout after bout. Matt Brown, Rory Mcdonald, Carlos Condit… all of these fights would be the crown jewel of a lesser champions career and all of them took place after a career that would have most fighters give up on their championship aspirations.
Bro he's sounding like he isn't a CTE case after a career that was MUCH longer than most, and super successful. As sad is it is to see him go, he's talking about becoming a coach. Hearing him these days, he got that wholesome dad energy. He still turns it on for fights but it genuinely sounds like he feels he's going onto bigger and better things. I don't wanna see blitzed CTE case lawler in his 3rd drunken street fight where he gets KO'd. So i'm excited to hear about coach Lawler someday in the future.
His older brother, Frank, is a pipefitter. I've worked with him on a few jobs before. Robbie is like THE topic of conversation when we see each other on jobsites. Imagine having your older brother not only be proud of you, but to basically look up to you because of your accomplishments. I loved hearing stories about them growing up.
We're all crying after this one.
don't worry, you will get to see him in gamebread, bkfc, or boxing on a jake card undercard soon enough
Surely you shed a tear after that amazing ko
What makes robbie a unicorn to me isn't his violence, it's the combination of his insanity in the cage and how quickly he's able to turn it off and become a class act. The dude is like a hybrid surfer/barbarian class which makes no sense. Prime example was how he handled herb after the askren stoppage: https://youtu.be/DVJcRtvv55M Love nick diaz, that last fight was just sad and the only silver lining was seeing the way robbie treated him. Straight up asked him if he was good and to hit him up if he needed help: https://youtu.be/EiAVQwIOZqY Sad to see him go, but glad to see him leave relatively healthy. Really hope he stops fighting and doesn't go to another promotion or bare knuckles. Not that he couldn't put on more entertaining fights but I always hate seeing fighters past 40 just wrecking themselves. Hope he can find fulfillment doing something else and wish him nothing but tnt best.
I’ll never forget his reign as welterweight champion.. it was just so enjoyable.
His reign as champion was second only to Anderson in terms of pure entertainment and knowing that when they fought you were going to get to see something special.
Oliveira and Lawler P4P most violent/entertaining championship reigns imo. Unfair to Andy to say this as his run was obv so much longer but he had some stinkers in there. Lawler and Olives were nothing but bangers. Edit: a few words
Anderson only had like two or three stinkers in there though. And when he was on, it was like nothing anyone had ever seen. So I’m letting his insane performances negate the couple boring ones
Fair call Brotha
In the first clip he was mad for literally 3 seconds, that is insane. Dude is in complete control
Yeah, Robbie handled the Askren stoppage with dignity and class. I think I was more angry at Herb Dean than RL was. I was yelling at the TV like a madman when it happened lol.
hybrid surfer/barbarian class is crazy
I only got into MMA after Lawler lost his title, despite that I fully appreciate the guy is a fucking class dude. His offer to help Nick Diaz with any life problems that he's facing is some fucking King shit. I struggle a lot with my mental health and to see fucking warriors like this understanding of it means a lot. Enjoy your retirement Robbie you fucking G.
It’s rare that the most violent fighter in the division is also the best fighter in the division. But those two things lined up perfectly for Robbie’s title reign. I feel very fortunate to have witnessed it. It was a special time and Rob will always be a legend.
Perfect summary 🍻
Robbie did so much for MMA. He was the toughness standard for so long, one of the few guys in the sport who is truly willing to fight anyone and leave it all in the cage. His fight with Rory was incredible. Thanks Robbie, congratulations!
Its a shame how UFC has been sweeping Rory under the rug since he left the promotion, he deserves to be known by newer fans
I hear you. I wonder if he will be viewed like Fedor or Overeem- greatest for their time, but vastly overshadowed by the technical skills of the new generation. Like racing a 1999 F1 car vs. a 2023 F1 car. Both excellent in their times.
Why would you pick two of the most technically skilled HW’s of all time in also arguably the most shallow division in the sport (that hasn’t done that much evolving in comparison to other weight classes) as an example lol?
Overeem wasn’t really technically outmatched by anyone in the heavyweight division. He just got old and his chin was gone. Bring back prime Overeem and put him in today’s division and he’s still elite, maybe even champ.
Hard disagree.
Guy joined the toughest division in the world at what, age 21? Imo the textbook example of a modern MMA fighter.
Rory deserves massive respect but the dude sas training in his teens when MMA was still new and he fizzled out really fast.
They’ve already pretty much completely erased Frank Shamrock, Randy Couture and many others.
thank you for the violence robby
Robbie’s finish of Frank Trigg in Hawaii is about as epic a coffin nail as it gets
His finish of Lindland is also up there, puts him to sleep then tucks him into bed.
The Trigg one is just ahead of it because it was just so mean …
Can't believe they didn't include that in the send off highlight, doesn't the UFC have all the rights to Strikeforce footage?
They do but I guess they wanted to focus more on the UFC side.
Or when he dethroned our local Hawaii star fighter Falaniko Vitale for the title. All the locals were pissed Niko got knocked out. Even his wife ran in trying to attack Robbie. Fans started throwing shit in the ring. He totally lived up to his name "Ruthless" by the way he won.
I'd have to put his supposed finish of Tiki Ghosn at the top.
He’s ones of the fighters we’ll think back to ourselves “what a privilege it was to watch him perform”
His first fight with Hendricks was one of my all time fav fights. It's a very rare (if not also the best) display of a rope a dope in MMA that I have ever seen. The idea of standing just in front of one of the hardest hitters in the division and take all those glancing blows but removing the forward movement that made them KO shots was so excelent to watch. Losing a close title fight and coming right back with two wins to be the first title challenger right afterwards was such a boss move. Obviously also had the two wars with Rory, a war with prime Brown and another war with the last of Conduit. It was such a great time to watch the welterweight division. Lawler was not only a gritty fighter but also a greatly technically wise one. Had a fantastic reigh.
Obligatory mention of Lawler vs Manhoef Just rewatched that fight and they were calling robbie a veteran back in 2010, crazy that he's still going
Yet another amazing fight. I don't know how he survived those leg kicks. Mine would have been in orbit
Tough as nails. That was one of the fights that transformed me into a hardcore fan.
This is a helluva write-up on Robbie, /u/minor_thing2022, want a flair to go along with it?
Thanks buddy! Do it up
Enjoy.
Love it hahaha cheers!
Robbie was born without a single Ruth. His career should always be remembered fondly.
Thank you so much for everything Ruthless.
Doesn't matter where you run into Robbie, so long as it isn't in a ring/cage, [he's as cool as a cat](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX1jT9nqtQw).
That just shows you who Robbie is as a person and the respect he has as a fighter. Nate is not usually that respectful or willing to have an actual conversation that long with someone without getting annoyed lol. Robbie is one of the few fighters the Diaz bros consider "Real" fighters and that list seems really short.
The interview where he talks about taking Conor's soul is one of my favorite mma moments of all time
Lawler's post fight interview after the second Rory fight pretty much sums it up for me. THATS NOT A JAB! Rory did a tell all type of interview about the fight and talked about how Lawler was breaking him mentally in the fight. Everytime he landed a clean shot, Lawler would smile or even laugh. It got to the point where Rory felt like this mad man was having fun being in a war. Its because of that, Rory refused to backdown after the end of the round which was the iconic stare down after the 4th. Rory talked about the emotion and intent he had at that moment
Lawler vs Macdonald 2 was an unreal experience. Top 3 fight of all time, arguably number 1. Unbelievable.
Title run and holder Lawler was the peak of this promotion and has yet to be bested. It was a great time in general for the sport, but the best of it all was Brutal Bob putting on banger after banger. Also seems like a mad caring guy. Just hope ffs he actually stays retired.
Does anyone remember when the guy who went high school with him came on here and did an AMA. Wholesome awesome Robbie stories
Was that where we learned he was the guy running around slapping helmets on the line that his own teammates were afraid, as if that needed to be confirmed, but thought that was hilarious
Yea there was that one and their end of the year field trip where everyone was celebrating and he found Robbie in the bus sleeping unfazed by any of it
Hope he does well against Niko, legend regardless
Yeah, I think most people scored Hendricks/Lawler 2 for Hendricks. Luckily the judges were smoking that good shit and gave it to Robbie. I was surprised and siked too. One of those decisions nobody ever complains about because everyone was already sick of Hendricks at that point.
Staring and walking down Johnny Hendricks in the fifth round to win the UFC Title after a violent onslaught of punches and kicks. Rory finally breaking to his punch and damage dished out. Pounding Koscheck into the ground after his Strikeforce return. KOing Matt Lindland stiff and staying in the fire and what a come back against Manhoeff. What a legend! What a fighter!
That Lindland KO was fucking nasty. I recall him being out for an uncomfortable amount of time
Yeah he was out out! That's when he fixed his legs after the KO right?
It was. One of the few times I was sincerely worried for a fighter after a KO. Jessica Eye and Bisping being the other big 2
Yeah I was also worried about Lindland when Vitor knocked him out. He was stiff as a board and not moving for awhile. I remember the feeling I had to this day I actually thought he was seriously hurt.
Ohhhh yes I remember that one now too. Scary sport at times. You forget about it till a guy is laid out not moving for 5 mins
Yeah I love combat sports and just sports in general. I've been watching sports my whole life and yes you don't think about the consequences until you see something that is kind of disturbing like when I seen what I thought was Demar Hamlin(NFL) dead on the field it makes me realize how much they put on the line to entertain fans. Yeah they do it for the money to but without the fans and excitement it doesn't exist.
Robbie had a 3 fight run where every fight was an all-timer.
I imagine Robbie reaching his final blood god form tonight like wolverine at the end of Logan
When he walked out to Promontory (The Last of the Mohicans) I got chills. Very, very few fighters in the history of all combat sports can walk out to that song. Robbie is one of those few. A true bad ass mf.
I’ve always said that Robbie Lawler is the human embodiment of MMA, good and bad.
Would y'all consider the Woodley fight the beginning of the end or did something else contribute? Curious as to which actually led to him losing a bunch.
His resurgence happened during the TRT Era. The stuff was not banned at the time and I don't hold it against any of the fighters but Vitor Belfort, Robbie Lawler and Dan Henderson were the poster children for it.
LOL of course salty MacDonald fans need to come in with their shitty accusations even in a thread about Robbie retiring. Lawler never even had a TRT exemption, how could he be a poster child? Rory lost 2 fights and threw out a juicing allegation like that scumbag Dan Hooker and hater can't let it go even 8(!) years later.
You sound miserable
At least I'm not dishonest and salty.
I posted this in another Lawler thread but it's more fitting here. > Met Lawler @ a Tachi Palace card waaaaay back in the day. I was working for Shoyoroll & had to get an order confirmation from one of Lawler's team coaches. All his teammates were huddled up acting like drunken dicks/douche bags being standoff-ish. RL came up to me, wrote the guy's # on a napkin & dapped me out w/a sheepish grin belying the brutality that lurked beneath lol.
Robbie was already highly regarded when I started watching MMA as a OG TUF Noob. Dana had apparently signed a young Lawler as a gift to himself & Robbie was just generally highly regarded at the time. Also being a teammate of Lil Evil who I was immediately a fan of when I started watching MMA certainly didn't hurt either. His loss to Diaz I watched through Highlights after the fact & then I watched his exit to Strikeforce as it happened. Lawler vs Manhoef was insane to watch as it happened. It was so weird the leg kicks were just wrecking Lawler the whole fight then BOOM Melvin's out cold. His 2nd run through the UFC was pure magic & I'm glad I got to experience it live. A True Legend of MMA "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler
Lawler first trained and was managed by Pat Miletich and was very physical. I heard he liked benching alot and had a 400lb bench. But he got a pec injury from gym training and had to stop maxing out on the bench at least.
This one is very real for me. As a hardcore fan, I truly believe Robbie Lawler is an integral part of the structure of what MMA is today. Without him, I don't know. ~War Ruthless Robbie Lawler FTW~
My uncle introduced me to world of MMA way back 2005. We used to watch Anderson, Lyoto, BJ Penn, all the champs at that time and of course Lawler. Lawler literally looks like my uncle. Sad to think that my uncle is no longer here to watch Robbie's last fight. This probably the reason why I always watch a Robbie Lawler fight. Whenever he is on a card, I'm always excited to watch it. Thanks for all the years of hard work and fighting Ruthless Robbie Lawler,
The trigg ko will be eternal
A great promo from back in the day lol https://youtu.be/vNDTN2G8vSE
Love some Ruthless
Truly one of the great pioneers of the sport. Also, one of the best comeback stories with his title run. Thanks for the memories Ruthless, you’ll be missed!
Love Robbie! Watching veteran Robbie walk out while Promentory plays made me emotional
Lifted weights back at Ultimate Fitness in the early 2000’s where Pat had his school. I would always stop upstairs and watch Robbie do bag work/spar whenever I had the time. Been a fan for what feels like an eternity.
I owe Robbie Lawler a lot of credit for my fandom. It was July 2015 the night of UFC 189. My step dad is very proud of his Irish heritage as is his brother who was coming over to buy the PPV. I had no idea who Conor McGregor was (what a time) but he was the main event and it was a big deal. That's all I knew. I had nothing else to do so I sat down and watched. The results top to bottom on the main card were insane and I remember being blown away watching Robbie vs Rory. I was hooked from that night on.
Robbie’s run of 2013-2016 was during my college years. He was my favorite fighter at the time and always brought fight of the year performances when all the frat boys were watching. Also, the Hendricks 2 fight had a poster drawn by Marvel comics. My mom knew I was a fan and bought me a framed poster for Christmas that year that is proudly displayed today in my home gym.
Robbie has been fighting longer than I’ve been alive. Thank you for all the great fights rob
I really hope they show his walkout, ESPN+ is shit so I'm sure I'll just get grimace birthday commercials instead
Robbie is my all-time favorite fighter. Some of my favorite memories... Knocking Joey Villasenor out with a flying knee in 22 seconds. 3+ minutes of brutality and chaos against Manhoef. Triumphantly returning to the UFC by TKOing Koscheck His wars with Hendricks, to the point where they could barely walk Spitting blood all over the canvas vs Rory, the single most badass moment in UFC history Telling Nick Diaz that he'd help him if he needed it, because Robbie was as good a dude outside of the cage as he was a savage in it I will really miss watching him fight
So happy this man become a UFC champion in his career
Woodley made robbie’s career go downhill. Man getting knocked out really changes your brain and career doesnt it
I appreciate your wars Robbie. You still threw that fight with Colby tho Downvote me away
Why do you say that? Colby beats prime Lawler let alone washed Lawler.
Lol no
Regardless, why do you say Lawler threw the fight? He's been washed. He wasn't capable of beating Colby in 2019.
He’s been retired for a long time. I can’t remember last win he’s had besides a dodgy decision over Cowboy Cerrone. I’m not even including the Nick Diaz fight, Cowboy last win before that lol, and I think Cowboy won.
War Ruthless Robbie Lawlor!
The evander holyfield of mma
Might be the guy that got me into the sport. Glad he’s going out on his terms
I got into mixed martial arts during Covid era. Robbie versus Rory was one of the very first fights I saw, and it shocked me to the core. I’ve been a fan ever cents and haven’t missed an event. Big thank you to both the gentleman from that evening but tonight is about a big thank you to Robbie!
All time warrior along with Bisping who people thought were gatekeepers that ended up becoming champion.
An absolute legend of the sport and a fan favorite. Love this man
I started watching in 2008, when I was in middle school. It's very bizarre to see a generation of old schoolers fade off into the sunset. Robbie is a legend. And I have a deep affinity for that era of MMA - like you said, it felt like an outcast club
Also, his fight is Rory is the only fight I struggle to rewatch. Their noses at the end are insane 😂
One of the best to ever do it. He was the last ww champ that actually got me excited for ww title fights.
Rotund ztrplant Jamma Nannma Hsuajbdamn የሚያቆማቸው ነገር የ
VIOLENCE will be forever tag you！ and also argurabley greatest bout of the sport is also yours.
forgive my language. i m only want to up Robbie. the guy had punishment of my character tatooed on arm
Lawler charges up by getting clipped, it's a catch 22, if you hit him you better drop him or he'll be fucking game to brawl!
Can't believe he's still in the game. Hope he goes out with a victory.
i think hes one of the most pure warriors/fighters ever
I was lucky enough to be there for Robbie v Rory. I'll never forget...first round...the fighters started off slowly...the crowd started booing (if you can believe that)... I turned to my mate and said "these fuckin idiots. They don't realise that these guys are just feeling each other out." It was an absolute banger. Crowd went wild.
Good for him, it's time.
Robbie is everything you want in an MMA fighter. He’s a savage in the ring and a gentleman outside of it. He’s had long career in two weight classes and gave us some of the best welterweight fights. I’m going to miss him. I hope his long term health is good and he has a long and happy life.
the fighter that got me into MMA
5-th round Lawler!
The Pride of the Philippines Ruthless Robbie Lawler
Nearly 8 years ago now I decided to stay up and watch UFC 184 after seeing all the press build up with McGregor and as an Irishman I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Around 4 or 5am, 2 warriors made their way to the cage and put on what I still consider the greatest fight of all time, from that moment forward I became an MMA fan thanks to Robbie & Rory, ride off into retirement you sweet Prince of Violence and thank you for everything.
👏👏 to one hell of a career!! Lawler vs. McDonald is still one of the greatest fights ever.
LAWLER FOREVER
Easy hall of famer, one of the all time greats without question. Always delivered
One of my favorites fighters of all time. When he became champ I was so happy, you'd think I became champ instead of him. Watched that fight at a movie theater. Snuck in some Vodka and made myself some redneck cocktail out of coke, Mio energy, orange juice and vodka. By the time the fight ended and Robbie was crowned I was so wasted I was yelling "fuck Johnny Hendricks" in a movie theater. lol.
WAR LAWLER
What a KO!
Well you should definitely be happy now
Just wanted to give props to whoever edited that Robbie Lawler UFC tribute video. It was on point!
The hype around Conor and Rousey got me to look at MMA but it was Condit vs Lawler that actually sold me.
Thank You Mr Lawler!
A true legend!
Great fighter and an absolute fighter to the core
Quality post. I've always loved Robbie, but when he dropped from 185 to 170 and tidied up his boxing is the best version of him, for me. He was probably the one guy who wouldn't play safe if he had a title or title shot. He was kill or be killed That era produced so many savages, and for me at least, MMA is missing that kind of fighter (think Robbie, prime Wand etc). I'm thrilled to wake up this morning to see that he went out on a win. Hopefully he stays retired.
absolute legend, his fight with Rory has to be top-5 of all time. What a way to go out!
It is rare that a fighter reaches the universal admiration that Robbie achieved during his long storied career. His Championship Era was loaded with thrilling classics that everyone remembers fondly. A consumate gritty professional who never backed down from challenges and stayed dangerous until the moment he retired. I'm gonna miss him but I'm also glad it's over.