After seemingly endless positioning and repositioning of matchups due to injuries and PED issues (looking at you Vitor Belfort), the final version of the UFC 173 card has taken on the look of a classic in the making.
There are a number of fights that will go a long way toward determining the future of their respective divisions. This includes, of course, the Main Event, in which Renan Barão will defend his Bantamweight belt against upstart TJ Dillashaw.
As interesting as it is to watch greatness in action (and make no mistake, Renan Barão is a great fighter), for my money the most exciting fight at this weekend’s Pay-Per-View event in Las Vegas will be the earlier fight between welterweights Jake Ellenberger and Robbie Lawler (pictured).
The loser will likely get cropped out of the title picture in the wide-open division, at least for the time being. Here’s everything you need to know about CraveOnline’s choice for Fight of the Night.
Background
Although Johny Hendricks is the undisputed champion right now, the welterweight division of the UFC is very much in flux this year and both Jake “The Juggernaut” Ellenberger and “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler can stake a claim to be the next to fight Hendricks with a win on Saturday.
Ellenberger and Lawler, who the UFC ranks as the No. 6 and No. 2 welterweights in the world, respectively, are coming off losses in their previous fights and are desperate to restore the career momentum they had been building. The 29-year old Ellenberger has not fought in 10 months as a result of a partial hamstring tear suffered in training. His last fight was a loss via unanimous decision to No. 3 Rory MacDonald at UFC on Fox 8 last July, a performance that caused UFC commish Dana White to proclaim, “Ellenberger did nothing.”
Lawler’s last fight was a title shot against “Bigg Rigg” Hendricks, a fight that the 32-year old Lawler earned after wins over both Josh Koscheck and MacDonald. The fight was even through four rounds, but Hendricks took Lawler down in the fifth and Lawler left without a belt wrapped around his waist. Ellenberger and Lawler are two incredibly talented fighters who have shown they can compete at an elite level. Whether they can become championship-level remains to be seen, but Saturday’s fight will go a long way toward deciding that.
The Matchup
This is a fight that certainly has Knockout of the Night potential, as the fighters have combined to win 36 fights by KO/TKO in their careers. Lawler especially is a knockout artist, who has taken 18 of his 22 career victories by way of a stoppage. Lawler’s fight with Hendricks was essentially a boxing match in which the two traded haymakers and Lawler was able to badly hurt the champion several times.
Lawler also showed in the title bout that he has added some kicks and flying knees to his repertoire, so the onus will be on Ellenberger to take this fight to the ground and stay away from Ruthless’s power. Ellenberger is by far the superior wrestler of the two and has only been taken down once in his entire career, in a fight with Carlos Condit in 2009.
Once the fight does get taken to the ground, Ellenberger should have the advantage. He has only been submitted once in his career, and that was seven years ago. The Juggernaut should also be fresher late in the fight, considering it has been just over two months since Lawler traded blows with Hendricks. Lawler will likely give it to Ellenberger with both barrels in the first round, trying to land a punch that cripples the younger fighter. If Ellenberger can survive the early storm, it will be his fight to lose.
They Said It
“Another shot at the title would be awesome. I feel like I deserve it. I feel like the fight [against Johny Hendricks] was close and I did a lot of damage, but when it comes down to it, I need to get ready for Jake Ellenberger. He’s a helluva fighter, and I need to be ready for him.” -Robbie Lawler
“This is the kind of fight that I think can bring the best out of me. This is a huge opportunity for me to fight a guy like Robbie. And the good thing about it is, I know the best is yet to come. I don’t think I’ve gotten to show my full potential yet.”
– Jake Ellenberger
Dylan Sinn is a freelance contributor for CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSinn or “like” CraveOnline Sports on Facebook.
Photo Credit: Getty
