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Robbie Lawler remains the No. 1 welterweight in the world after nearly being dethroned by Carlos Condit at UFC 195.

The champ appeared to be down on the scorecards following four rounds of well-executed range striking from Condit, but a remarkable fifth-round surge was enough to sway the judges and keep Lawler on the throne by way of a razor-thin split decision. Condit came up just short in his second bid for undisputed UFC gold, though his stock was undoubtedly raised by what was perhaps the finest performance of his 13-year MMA career.

While an immediate rematch would seem to make sense, the UFC has already appointed a new No. 1 contender for Lawler’s belt in the form of Tyron Woodley. Meanwhile, Condit stated after the bout that he is contemplating retirement.

The co-main event of the Jan. 2 card saw Stipe Miocic cut down former heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski with a barrage of punches after only 54 seconds. The victory could well put Miocic in line for a shot at the winner of the Fabricio Werdum-Cain Velasquez rematch on Feb. 6, though recent winner Alistair Overeem could also be in the mix. For Arlovski, the loss snapped a surprising six-fight winning streak in which “The Pit Bull” proved he still has plenty of fight left.

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