Two fighters known for bringing excitement to their cards, former champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler and “the Hybrid” Niko Price meet this weekend. Both men will also be battling back from adversity, having lost their most recent bouts.
Lawler is 1-1 in his last two, defeating fellow legend Nick Diaz, before falling to Bryan Barberena a year ago. Price, likewise is 1-1, having beaten Alex Oliveira before losing to Philip Rowe last December.
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Betting Odds
“Ruthless” comes in the underdog, meaning every $100 placed on him could return $210.
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Fight Breakdown
Robbie Lawler at his best is vicious and carries a lot of punching power. Where many of the sport’s biggest knockout artists are known for a particular weapon, Lawler has succeeded in putting the lights out with any limb from either side.
What makes him so interesting is he is both extremely aggressive yet patient, he uses a tight boxing guard and good head movement to bob and weave his way in. He times his explosions and throws long hard combinations, but will reset and wait before doing so again. The way in which he throws full burst when he does let go, is not a style that allows for consistent pressure, Lawler has to find his moments to then recover and pace himself before letting go again, therefore if Price is able to keep up with Lawler look for periods where Lawler may sit back and take his foot off the gas.
Niko Price has a tremendous reach for the 170 lb division at 76 inches. This is two inches longer than Lawler, and Price has been very good at utilizing that punching range. Price tends to come out of the gate very composed, he will plod forward and throw at a consistent rate but without the quickest hand speed. He is good at using his kicks to fill space and get himself into boxing range, or string a kick onto the end of his boxing combinations.
This is a very good fight for both men at this point in their careers. Both have been with the UFC for a long time, and not only are they coming off of losses, but they are coming back from being stopped. The biggest variable for me is largely which Robbie Lawler comes back after a year away, he is likely at the end of his career and whether or not age has come for him since we last saw him remains to be seen.
Prediction
If Lawler looks the same as he did when he last fought, he is a very dangerous opponent for Price. Although both were last knocked out, Price is the one who has been stopped in five of his six total losses and throws a bit wider and slower than Lawler.
I believe if the fight is going to be stopped it will more likely be Lawler with his hand raised but over three rounds the pace of Price could win out on the scorecards. At +210 it’s fair to give Lawler the benefit of the doubt in his year-long preparation to return as the more valuable pick.
Pick: Robbie Lawler to win (+210)
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I think you’re grossly underestimating Prices power and durability, and how many fighter’s actually win their retirement fight.