Expect Fireworks with Robbie Lawler vs Matt Brown
By Christopher Jester
Robbie Lawler versus Matt Brown. It just does not get any better than that. On Tuesday May 27th, UFC President Dana White announced the bout and that the winner would get to face Johny Hendricks for the UFC Welterweight Championship. Scheduled to take place on July 26th on Fox, this fight will be nothing but fireworks.
With questionable fighters receiving title shots lately, this may be one of the best fight match-ups in a long time for a title eliminator. Robbie Lawler and Matt Brown is a stylistic match-up made in heaven. These two warriors put on entertaining fights every time they step into the cage. There is never a shortage of action when they fight, and this is one of those few bouts where fans will be happy with the winner getting a title shot either way. If Lawler wins, he deserves it. If Matt Brown wins, he deserves it.
While other fighters may be scratching their head, this is the best decision that the UFC could have made. Rory MacDonald and Tyron Woodley were the only two fighters who are likely one fight away from a title shot. As talented as both of these fighters may be, this is not the same kind of match-up that will be found in Lawler vs. Brown. MacDonald has been inconsistent with his performances. Woodley still needs that one performance that will make him a surefire contender. With the likes of Hector Lombard and Dong Hyun Kim waiting in the wings, if you had the choice to play fantasy matchmaker in the welterweight division you would have come to the same conclusion to put together Lawler vs. Brown.
Even with the turnaround timetable for both fighters, this fight made the most sense outside of MacDonald/Woodley. Matt Brown has been seriously underestimated as a contender in the 170lb. division. Riding into this fight with a 7-fight winning streak, Brown will likely come in as a slight underdog but should he be? Yes, his resume is not cluttered with top ten names in that winning streak but his ability to absorb damage and make changes to his gameplan (if there was one in the first place) is incredible.
This may be Brown’s key advantage over Lawler, who lost his title bid against Hendricks only because he could not make adaptations throughout the fight. But he has seemed to mature from that as it was evident in his bout against Jake Ellenberger. He did not rest on his back when Ellenberger took him down. His power punches will keep him in the match as will his durability. Just to put it simply: this is going to be on exciting fight.
July 26th may seem like a long time away but it will shake-up the welterweight division that night. For Robbie Lawler it is an opportunity to get back to a title that was so close to being his. For Matt Brown, it is his chance to show how much he has changed his career since nearly getting released from the UFC. Even without the title implications on the line, this would still be one awesome fight. And if it lives up to its expectations this will surely be one of the nominations for Fight of the Year.
Follow Christopher Jester on Twitter @sLapDatSuCka. Post your comments directly below! You can also discuss the latest MMA and Video Game News in the PunchDrunkGamer Forums and don’t forget to Follow PDG on Twitter @PunchDrunkGamer and Like the PDG Official Facebook Page!
