This actually might be a very good move for Robbie, as I know he was really having to shed those pounds to make 170 lbs in recent times. I also like who ZUFFA has tentively set as his opponent for his first fight at 185 lbs, Ron Jhun ... it should be a war!
It is very hard for me to forget the first time I saw Lawler fight (it was actually a series of clips from his early fights) ... he was 100% intensity then, but over the past 2 years he seems to have lost just a little of that old fire that was once overwhelming to his opponents.
Recently, Robbie has had a few injuries, & bouts where he looked completely flat for the majority of the fight. Finally, to top it all off, the shocker TKO loss to Diaz put him completely off track at 170 lbs.
I just feel that even if he doesn't win a title at 185 lbs ... he will still be much more himself, and back to throwing down with whomever he faces in the future (let's hope so anyway).
Thoughts & opinions?
Oh, I don't think Lawler would be in the title picture at 185 anytime soon. I think, if he does well in his debut there, that we'll see him brought along slowly, with several building fights to his get confidence back at a high level before he's dropped off into the deep end of the talent at that weight (and believe me, the water's very deep there right now).
He will not be very effective at 185.
Forget about the weight.. Robbie needs to go back to the gym and regain his confidence. He's was way to old and inexperienced to be in there with some of the fighters he's faced. They pushed that boy way to hard. Now he needs about 5-7 fights against lower level fighters to pull himself back up. All he really had was some good hands, some wreatling skills, but not much else. He's been pressed, and pushed, and baited and can't handle it. I think they through him to the dogs way to fast, and if they want to save that young, they need to slow it down.
Lawler vs. Baroni could be the most exciting fight the UFC has ever had. What a main event that would be.
good move for Robbie, Hes a 185er naturally
"TKO loss to Diaz"
You've go tto be kidding, that was ruled a tko and not a ko? If this is so, that's just silly, Robbie was out like a light.
I don't know what his issue is, but his last few fights (Spratt, Lytle, and Diaz) he was definitely hanging back and letting the other guy come to him. He became boring, and those three fights were only exciting because of his opponent. I thought Spratt exposed his striking as not being as good as the best MMAers, and then Lytle exposed him as not being aggressive (I was shocked when Lawler got that decision). But Diaz really showed how unaggressive Lawler is.
I don't see Lawler as being a top fighter at 170 or 185. His striking is good, but not great, and his grappling seems the same. But he has become so unaggressive that I am not as excited to see him fight anymore. I think he may need some time off to develop his skills a little more if he is going to compete at the highest level.
Hate to say it but Baroni would hurt Robbie L
Jhun just got down from fighting @185 he fought tough guys in that division. Lawler will get crush
Comedy... A guy loses 1 fight and already everyone assumes he isn't good! Same thing you all did with Hughes. Everyone has a bad night. Look for MFS to come out SWINGING!
is hed alone must weigh 80lbs! 185 should suit him well, after Ron kicks his ass that is.
Lawler should fight some lower level event for a while or fight some lower level fighter in the 185 to build up experience and confidence. I believe he would be beat soundly by fighters like Lindland,Baroni or Murray.
I'd like to see Lawler vs The Crow. I think The Crow would beat him convincingly.
"A guy loses 1 fight and already everyone assumes he isn't good!"
No, he's lost two of his last three, and the one win was a decision that, in my opinion, should have been a loss.
Anyway, I would never say Lawler isn't "good." He's very good and has the record to prove it. But I don't think he has shown- at least not in his last three fights- that he can be a title contender in UFC.
Also, he has adopted such a passive style recently.
Robbie is awesome but you can't expect a fighter to move up and be the same fighter
Throw in Benji at 185 and we have the makings of this division being very exciting.
Jhun, Murray, Baroni, Linland, Radach, Rivera etc. Lots of good fights there.
going to 185 would not exactly be "moving up"
staller is freakin huge for a WW, and the 185 division is weaker right now anyway. I say move up and fight at your normal weight. hell, he'll probably still be cutting 5-10 lbs.
Lawler needs to find some order to his style. He can do a lot of different things well, but there's not real order to his technique.
If he is going to fight on 185lbs, he needs to brush up on his wrestling ability and his ground game, and take people down, Use his punching power on the ground, either in a classic ground and pound, or working the side control or the mount and finishing opponents from there.
agreed, he usually avoids the ground like the plague
*yawn!!!* another chump for lindland to thrash