For Carlos Condit, coming up short against Robbie Lawler at last night’s (Sat. Jan. 2, 2016) UFC 195 pay-per-view (PPV) event in Las Vegas, Nevada, was one of those defeats. White said at the post-fight press conference.
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But it doesn’t take a skilled technician or observant analyst to understand the appeal of the matchup, which takes place at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Condit has never been cocky enough to guarantee victory or make bold proclamations about the way he’ll finish his opponents, but he knows Lawler is going to bring out the best of him when they meet in the Octagon.
While Condit was busier in the final round, throwing 173 strikes to Lawler’s 92 according to FightMetric, the champion produced more power.
Judges Chris Lee and Derek Cleary gave Lawler Rounds 2, 3 and 5 and scored the fight for him 48-47.
For his part, Lawler is open to the rematch with Condit but there’s nothing official yet.
Lawler (27-10) defeated Condit (30-9) by split decision (48-47, 48-47, 47-48) to retain the UFC welterweight championship.
A few moments after they spontaneously leaned on the cage together, taking deep breaths and basking in cheers, they ended the night with their arms mutually raised in victory. He could perhaps be lured back by another shot at the belt, especially considering the nature of the fight and the support he received afterward, but if “The Natural Born Killer” is done for good, he’ll go down as one of the most thrilling competitors the welterweight division has seen. “Let’s do it again”, Lawler said after.
This was the UFC’s first event of the year.
Lawler wasn’t thinking about where he stood heading into the final round because he’s always thinking about finishing the fight.
Another solution Rogan offered was the introduction of more judges to score bigger fights, in order to share the burden of responsibility for making tough decisions.
“I felt like I had three rounds in the bag, but that’s why you don’t leave it to the judges”, Condit told commentator, Joe Rogan. Lawler came out aggressively, like someone who believed he needed a knockout to win.
You have to be able to take the pressure that comes with standing under the bright lights, fighting someone who did everything you did, and having confidence in your craft. I wasn’t hurt neurologically, but I was roughed up a little bit. And I feel very confident that it is …
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“I’ve been at this for a long time, over 40 professional MMA and kickboxing fights”. Condit dominated the fourth round, consistently putting Lawler on the defensive with a combination of knees, kicks and punches. “I was trying to live it minute by minute”.
