The Film Room: Robbie Lawler
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Former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler (28-12-0-1) returns to the Octagon this weekend for the first time since 2017 to welcome Ben Askren to the big leagues. Lawler has had one of the greatest career resurgences in the sport and a win over a highly-touted wrestler in Askren could project him right back into title contention 17 years after his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut.
Most of the clips in these GIFs come from just four fights and they are really the only ones you need to watch to know what Lawler is all about. “Ruthless” is known for his relentless striking and his incredible chin, but what never gets mentioned is how clever he is on the feet. Lawler isn’t just a big left hand and a good chin -- he is one of the smartest strikers in the division and uses his athletic gifts as his foundation. Most of his leading attacks are simple one-twos and left hooks, but it’s the timing and angles that allow him to land it at will. As a southpaw, Lawler is proficient at taking inside and outside angles in the open guard to set up his left hand and proved against Johny Hendricks that his hands are just as effective against fellow southpaws.
Early in his career, Lawler would rush forward with wild hooks in the pocket but these days, he is intelligently setting up his strikes and taking angles to set up his left. Notice here against Rory MacDonald that Lawler is routinely taking steps inside and outside of his guard to set up the left hand. These angles show just how far he has come in his career from a wild and aggressive striker to a more patient and intelligent striker.
But Lawler’s true genius comes when striking in the pocket. Although he is more patient than before, that doesn't mean he doesn't have moments of walking forward and trading in the pocket. But what makes his pocket striking so interesting is his defense and ability to flow with strikes in these manic moments. If you watch closely, you will see Lawler taking most of the strikes on his forearms and shoulders while coming forward and landing his punches clean. Being able to stay calm in these moments is rare at any level of MMA and it happens to be Lawler’s greatest strength.
Notice how Lawler moves his head in the pocket and takes punches on the forearms and shoulders all while staying calm. Even during this ridiculous frenzy of punches by Rafael dos Anjos, Lawler is taking most of them on the arms and rolling with the others.
Lawler doesn't work on the counter much, but he does have the skills to be effective when his opponent leads first. Early in his career, Lawler relied on his counter overhand left but these days he likes to counter with full-fledged combos and not just single strikes. Since Lawler is so calm and collected in moments of madness, he's not afraid to blitz forward when the opponent's strikes fall short.
Obviously, the most interesting aspect of this fight is the grappling intangible Askren brings to the table. If Askren can get the fight to the ground, Lawler is not getting back up. But if Askren can’t land his takedowns, he’s most likely getting knocked out. These are vastly different fighters with vastly different methods of fighting and nobody really knows what’s going to happen until we see it which is what makes MMA the greatest individual sport in the world.
Former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler (28-12-0-1) returns to the Octagon this weekend for the first time since 2017 to welcome Ben Askren to the big leagues. Lawler has had one of the greatest career resurgences in the sport and a win over a highly-touted wrestler in Askren could project him right back into title contention 17 years after his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut.
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Most of the clips in these GIFs come from just four fights and they are really the only ones you need to watch to know what Lawler is all about. “Ruthless” is known for his relentless striking and his incredible chin, but what never gets mentioned is how clever he is on the feet. Lawler isn’t just a big left hand and a good chin -- he is one of the smartest strikers in the division and uses his athletic gifts as his foundation. Most of his leading attacks are simple one-twos and left hooks, but it’s the timing and angles that allow him to land it at will. As a southpaw, Lawler is proficient at taking inside and outside angles in the open guard to set up his left hand and proved against Johny Hendricks that his hands are just as effective against fellow southpaws.
Early in his career, Lawler would rush forward with wild hooks in the pocket but these days, he is intelligently setting up his strikes and taking angles to set up his left. Notice here against Rory MacDonald that Lawler is routinely taking steps inside and outside of his guard to set up the left hand. These angles show just how far he has come in his career from a wild and aggressive striker to a more patient and intelligent striker.
But Lawler’s true genius comes when striking in the pocket. Although he is more patient than before, that doesn't mean he doesn't have moments of walking forward and trading in the pocket. But what makes his pocket striking so interesting is his defense and ability to flow with strikes in these manic moments. If you watch closely, you will see Lawler taking most of the strikes on his forearms and shoulders while coming forward and landing his punches clean. Being able to stay calm in these moments is rare at any level of MMA and it happens to be Lawler’s greatest strength.
Notice how Lawler moves his head in the pocket and takes punches on the forearms and shoulders all while staying calm. Even during this ridiculous frenzy of punches by Rafael dos Anjos, Lawler is taking most of them on the arms and rolling with the others.
Lawler doesn't work on the counter much, but he does have the skills to be effective when his opponent leads first. Early in his career, Lawler relied on his counter overhand left but these days he likes to counter with full-fledged combos and not just single strikes. Since Lawler is so calm and collected in moments of madness, he's not afraid to blitz forward when the opponent's strikes fall short.
Obviously, the most interesting aspect of this fight is the grappling intangible Askren brings to the table. If Askren can get the fight to the ground, Lawler is not getting back up. But if Askren can’t land his takedowns, he’s most likely getting knocked out. These are vastly different fighters with vastly different methods of fighting and nobody really knows what’s going to happen until we see it which is what makes MMA the greatest individual sport in the world.
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