At 39-years-old and coming off a four-fight losing streak, some have questioned whether Robbie Lawler might retire if he loses his rematch with Nick Diaz at UFC 266 on Saturday night, but the former welterweight champion insists that’s not even an option he’s considered.
“Nah, it’s not possible,” Lawler told TMZ. “I’ve been doing this a long time, my body feels good. It’s just waiting for good fights that get me excited, and this is one of those fights.
”Nick Diaz is a big name and this is going to be a big event.”
Lawler also stated that he doesn’t really have a timeline yet for when retirement will become a possibility, despite having now fought for over two decades.
“I have no idea (when I will retire). As long as my body feels good and I’m still loving what I’m doing and I can still get in there and train with these guys and hold my own, and I’m enjoying what I’m doing,” he added. “If all those things are clicking, then I’m going to be doing it.
“But you never know, things change fast. But I feel good. My body feels good, my mind’s good, so I’m going to keep going.”
That being said, Lawler did admit in a separate interview that these days he is seeking to find a better balance between his fighting career and his personal life as he tries to find more time with his family.
“It’s just how much time do I want to put into the sport when I have to spend time with my family?” Lawler told MMAMania.com. “I have a son that’s growing up and I want to spend time with them, so it’s finding that balance. It’s something I didn’t really have throughout my whole career is balancing family. It was pretty much me, me, me, train, train, train. Just trying to figure out that balance and Nick Diaz is one of those big names that kind of lets me go out there and focus a little bit more on fighting.
“It’s been a slow progression,” Lawler continued. “Going by feeling and figuring out. It’s still a work in progress like any martial art. It’s just like any person in life. Just getting better and fine-tuning my time management skills. It’s just working on those things. I never had to before and now I’m focusing on myself,” he continues. “I find a lot of joy. Even when I’m not competing anymore I’ll still be working out. So I don’t think I’m ever going to really retire because I’m always trying to get better, strive and create more balance. Obviously, this is a huge part of my life and I’ll be giving back to the sport that gave so much to me. I’m never putting this thing down.”
