Robbie Lawler next fight will be against Niko Price at UFC 290 on July 8th, and it’s set to be a historic night as it will mark the final fight of the star’s long career.
Dana White revealed the news in a video today as he announced the full fight card for UFC 290 during International Fight Week in las Vegas, which will be headlined by a featherweight title unification bout between current champion Alexander Volkanovski and interim titleholder Yair Rodriguez.
The 41-year-old fan-favorite first started his long association with the UFC all the way back in 2002. His initial 4-3 stint in the promotion was very memorable and he’d go on to play a key role in a number of other promotions over the years including Elite XC and Strikeforce as well as brief stints in the likes of PRIDE and IFL.
‘Ruthless’ then went on to make a triumphant return to the UFC in 2013, fighting his way to the welterweight title, which he’d successfully defend twice.
Since then Lawler has picked up victories over fellow veterans Donald Cerrone and Nick Diaz, but he’s also lost a further five fights, including a TKO defeat against Bryan Barberena, and so that’s likely why he’s now decided it’s time to hang up his gloves for good.
Before he does so though he’ll be fronting the preliminary card for UFC 290 against the 33-year-old Price, an entertaining fighter who has been alternating between wins and losses for much of his six-year spell in the UFC, and is coming off a third round TKO loss against Philip Rowe late last year.
Lawler vs. Price joins a UFC 290 card that in addition to the headliner between Volkanovski and Rodriguez will also include a co-main event flyweight title fight between Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja and Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus du Plessis.
Watch Dana White unveil the full fight card in the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/live/n7DVQXS1vWI?feature=share
