Robbie Lawler retained his welterweight title tonight at UFC 195 in a fight with Carlos Condit that was every bit as close and exciting as everyone had hoped it would be.
Round One:
The main event welterweight title fight is underway. Condit with a leg kick as Lawler immediately takes the center of the Octagon.
Lawler with a punch that doesn’t quick connect cleanly. Condit with another kick to the leg. Lots of pressure from Lawler, but Condit is able to land a body kick too.
Another leg kick from Condit on the outside. Hard inside leg kick from the challenger. Lawler with a few hard shots that land solidly.
Now Condit lands a left hand and Lawler staggers to the mat. He gets back up immediately though and clinches up to get his bearings back. He moves away and seems to be on steady legs for now. Condit lands a good knee upstairs.
Lawler with a kick that’s blocked. Condit tries to go upstairs with a head kick, but it misses. Lawler gets caught with another punch. Condit’s found his range early in this fight and looks comfortable out there. He throws another head kick attempt that’s blocked.
Another couple of kicks upstairs for Condit. He looks really loose out there and is piecing together short combinations. Back to leg kicks now for Condit.
Kick to the body for Condit and a hook, though Lawler also lands a counter hook. Not much offense from Lawler right now. Condit feels out with head kicks again as the round ends.
Round Two:
Lawler still takes the center of the Octagon. Hard body kick from Lawler. A few punches from Condit to distract from the kick upstairs behind them, but Lawler blocks it.
Condit pumping out the jab. Left hook from Condit and Lawler trying to counter with a right. More leg kicks for Condit. He now goes for a knee.
Lawler connects with a strike as Condit comes in and that makes him pause for a brief moment. Leg kick again for Condit, a superman punch in there and another kick.
They look to exchange and Lawler drops Condit with a right hand to the jaw! Condit seems clear eyed enough though and works from his back until Lawler decides to back up and motion him back up.
Condit looks to have recovered well and starts to go back to his kicking game. Straight left from Lawler only just comes up short. Punches and a kick from Condit but not quite finding the target.
Lawler tags Condit with a couple of solid counters over the top. Condit with a front kick to the body. Now across the legs with a kick and then to the body.
Hard right hook for Lawler. Condit presses forward and lands an uppercut as Lawler tries to counter.
Round Three:
They circle around each other and then Condit lands a kick to the legs. Another couple of leg kicks for him and then one of the body.
Front kick to the body now. A left and a right body kick from the challenger. He tries another kick and Lawler times that to unleash a flurry of punches. Knee to the midsection for Condit. Lawler still unloading though and fires up a head kick of his own that’s blocked.
Condit tries to exchange punches and eats an elbow. Back to the leg kick for Condit and misses on a head kick attempt. He comes up short with a few punches and a kick.
Condit taking the center of the cage now and Lawler moving on the outside. Volume of strikes coming from Condit, but not quite finding the target with quite a bit of his output here.
Lawler catches a kick and then launches one of his own. Nice kick from Condit. Knee to the body from Condit as Lawler tries to land a hook but doesn’t connect. Another knee for Condit. They clinch up and Lawler tries for a takedown attempt briefly but it doesn’t pay off and they go back to striking.
Solid body kick from Condit. Leg kick for Lawler. Spinning kick attempt to the midesction from Condit.
Lawler misses a punch just as Condit lands a leg kick and it knocks him off-balance to the mat, but he gets right back up.
Lawler presses Condit back to the cage and unleashes, but it’s a relatively even exchange of strikes.
The champion stumbles on a kick. Condit lands another kick. Condit lands with a short combo of punches. He tries a flying knee that just comes up short.
Hard kick to the body from Condit. Now to the leg. Lawler not engaging enough. Condit misses a head kick, but does land a body kick.
Lawler misses a swing for the fences and Condit connects with a left hook. The champion might be hurt by that and Condit pours on the pressure, throwing punches and a couple of good knees in there too. Lawler looking to return fire, but Condit gets the better of this exchange as the round comes to a close.
Round Five:
Five minutes to go and the champion needs to come up with something big here as Condit has been outworking him. Lawler with a right and a left. He might just be ready to go for broke.
Hard leg kick for Lawler and he wades in behind it with vicious punches. Condit moves away. Lawler steps in with a very good left and right combo.
Suddenly Condit comes back with a flurry of his own with punches and elbows. He tries a spinning backfist. Right hook for Lawler lands a little awkwardly.
Condit with a combination. Another, landing a nice uppercut in there. Push kick for him. Right hook and a left hand for Lawler.
Body kick for the champion and a punch. COndit lands a right and moves away. Nice series of left and rights from Condit now.
Lawler with a hard punch of his own. The fight has really heated up in this final round. Condit tries for a head kick but it’s blocked.
Another series of punches from Condit. Then Lawler lands a big punch that snaps his opponent’s head back. He doesn’t have the volume, but he unquestionably has the power.
Lawler rocks Condit with a punch. He smells blood and starts unleashing with flurries of hard shots. Condit still standing but he’s still on unsteady legs here. Lawler putting everything into his strikes, but he just can’t seem to put ‘The Natural Born Killer’ away!
Condit trying to return fire now, but there’s nothing in his punches now. He’s just trying to survive. Lawler’s running out of steam too, but they are both fighting on regardless. Crazy action here and Lawler has Condit hurt again, but in the final seconds of the round he can’t find that knockout blow so we are headed to the judges. What a thrilling end to the fight!
Decision:
Close fight and that huge last round for Lawler was crucial for him and it’s helped him earn a split decision victory on the scorecards (49-48 x2, 48-49) to retain his welterweight title.
