FloCombat Weekly Q & A: "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler

FloCombat Weekly Q & A: "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler

Robbie Lawler talks about his road to the UFC welterweight title in our new weekly series.

May 4, 2016 by Duane Finley
FloCombat Weekly Q & A: "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler
By Tony Reid

While reigning UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler’s next opponent is to be determined, there’s no doubt fight fans are eager to see “Ruthless” return to the cage. Lawler’s resurgence and rise to the top of the sport has been one of the most compelling storylines running over the past few years, just as his epic battles with Johny Hendricks, Rory MacDonald and Carlos Condit have earned the coveted “instant classic” tag from the MMA community. It will be interesting to see which top-ranked welterweight will get the call to face Lawler inside the Octagon, and fight fans are waiting to see Lawler put his blistering power and unbreakable will to the test once more under the bright lights.

FloCombat: "Robert Glenn Lawler, the UFC Welterweight Champion of the World." What are your thoughts when those words are pieced together?

Robbie Lawler: I'm very excited about what I've accomplished over the years and how it all finally came together. And there are a lot of people who helped me along the way, so it's exciting for them, too.I know there's very little downtime for you after a fight.

What makes you hop right back in the gym, even as early as the Monday after a fight?

I’m not relaxing after a fight—I want to start getting better again the next week and get on the grind again. It’s nice to celebrate, but soon after, it's time move forward and start working on things. That is what I concentrate on. There's always more work to do.

Your coach Matt Pena said that Pena Boxing is alive in the UFC Welterweight Champion of the World, Robbie Lawler. What does hearing that statement mean to you and to him?

Matt has been working with me ever since he started coming to Miletich Fighting Systems. It's been a long road. He's been helping me out for a long time, and it's nice getting big victories for him.

We hear the term "PRIDE Never Die" a lot, but after Pat, Matt and you, it looks like "Militech Fighting System Never Die." You've been there for a large percentage of the amazing MFS run through the UFC welterweight division.

It’s impressive. When I first started fighting MMA, we had a lot of 170-pounders at Miletich to get us ready. It wasn’t just the three of us. There were a lot of guys to push us and get us there. It’s awesome to be part of something Pat started and Matt built on, and now I have a little piece of it. I’m not done yet—I'm going to keep fighting, training hard and getting better. One thing I can do here at American Top Team is continue to learn. They have really good training partners and really good coaches.

We just talked about MFS, but you've obviously made a shift in training and camp to American Top Team in Florida. Can you talk about the choice to make the move and how it has improved your game and skill set?

American Top Team had been asking me to come down for a while. Strikeforce was just purchased, and I got the fight with Josh Koscheck, so they wanted me. Three weeks before I was supposed to leave for the fight, I went down there for a three-week training camp, worked on some things, and the rest is history. Every fight since then, I've been getting better. Ever fight since that first fight, I've stayed longer each time.

You have arguably the heaviest hands in the sport. Who has hit the hardest of anyone you've fought or trained with?

Drew McFedries was the hardest hitter I've ever been around. A big, strong, athletic guy with power. He didn’t have to hit you with a hard shot or load up—even the little short shots could hurt you.

If someone told you when you burst on the scene as a teenager that you would wrap the UFC gold around your waist for the first time close to your 33rd birthday, what would you have said?

I didn’t really listen to anyone back then anyway. If I would have listened to those people and believed what they said, I wouldn’t be who I am today. I believed in those who believed in me. Anyone who told me otherwise, I stayed away from them. I don’t want to have those kinds of people around anyway.

Many fighters have become matchmakers these days, trying to handpick opponents or get a certain fight. This is especially true where a shot at your welterweight title is concerned. How do you handle the situation at the top of your division?

Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta decide those things. I just show up and fight like I always do. I’m not going to call anybody out or pick my opponent. It’s up to the UFC. My job is to train hard and make sure I show up and put on a show for the fans and knock somebody out. That’s what I concentrate on, and it makes my life a lot easier. I don’t know how to run the UFC or match-make. I know how to train and prepare for fights, so that’s what I do.

Fulfilling potential doesn’t always happen in the real world, and especially late in the game in MMA. But you did! What are your thoughts on what you’ve been able to accomplish?

It feels good, but I still have more to give, so I'm still looking to fulfill what I consider my full potential. I feel like I'm still getting better. It’s been an awesome journey, and I'm continuing to grow. I need to get ready for what's coming next, so it’s time to get better.