Former UFC Fighter Robbie Lawler Wins ICON Middleweight Belt

Former UFC Fighter Robbie Lawler Wins ICON Middleweight Belt

Former UFC fighter Robbie Lawler (13-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC) emerged victorious in last night’s ICON Sport world middleweight title fight with former champ Frank Trigg.
Lawler became ICON’s first two-time middleweight champion when he dropped Trigg with a brutal fourth-round knockout. The fight, one of the night’s best at the Honolulu event, has been the buzz of MMA forums and Web sites today. And it also has many UFC fans wondering whatever happened to the Miletich team member and when we might see him back in the UFC.
For the newer UFC fans, here’s a quick summary. At just 20 years old, Lawler made his Octagon debut at UFC 37 and won a unanimous decision over Aaron Riley. He soon became one of the organization’s most talked-about fighters, showcasing some of the UFC’s heaviest hands and a balls-to-the-wall attitude. He had the bark, but he also had the bite to back it up. For anyone who followed the UFC during its events in the mid- to late-40s, Lawler was often mentioned as a top contender.
Lawler kicked off his UFC career with a 4-1 record, losing only to Pete Spratt because of a hip injury (via leg kicks). The loss was excused, but as Lawler continued to register wins, criticism began to mount that the hard-hitter was possibly too one-dimensional. Soon after, he suffered an upset loss to Nick Diaz at UFC 47 from — of all things — a knockout punch. It was the first time Lawler had been knocked out in his career. Six months later, he moved up to middleweight and lost to Evan Tanner via first-round choke.
And like that, he was gone from the UFC.
Rather than continue the downward spiral, Lawler’s excelled fighting for many of the world’s top organizations, including Superbrawl, King of the Cage, ICON, PRIDE Fighting Championships and the International Fight League. He’s won six of his past seven fights, winning a handful of fights in spectacular fashion, and re-emerged as a legit contender.
However, considering Lawler just won the belt and will now be one of ICON’s top draws, he probably won’t be heading back to the UFC in the immediate future. He might not even need to. He still has a huge fan following, and he’s become a big fish in just a slightly smaller pond.
But considering his recent string of success and a still-youthful age of 25, it’s still not out of the realm of possibility to see him back in the UFC sometime soon.