Welterweights
Robbie Lawler (29-15, 14-9 UFC) vs. Bryan Barberena (17-8, 8-6 UFC)It is always nice to see Lawler back in action, and thankfully, the UFC has put him in a pairing that figures to turn into an entertaining war. It has now been about two decades since “Ruthless Robbie” was a top prospect and nearly a decade since Lawler’s UFC return, which came at a point when he was still a viable veteran but seemed to firmly be in the journeyman portion of his career. However, Lawler’s career found a second wind, culminating in a 2014 welterweight title victory and a reign that ranks among the most fondly remembered in UFC history. Beyond the good vibes of being a culmination of so much work, Lawler’s fights against Johny Hendricks, Rory MacDonald and Carlos Condit were championship-round epics that rank among the best bouts of all-time. Tyron Woodley quickly ended Lawler’s run with a first-round knockout, and he has clearly been winding down since then, especially thanks to a stretch where the UFC seemed content to match him with wrestling-focused contenders instead of allowing him to shine in striking wars. Now that Lawler has firmly slid out of contention, the promotion seems to have pivoted back to matchmaking that is just plain fun. Lawler looked revitalized in a strange comeback fight for old rival Nick Diaz, and with a clear win there, he now draws Barberena. “Bam Bam” had a breakout year in 2016, upsetting highly touted prospects Sage Northcutt and Warlley Alves with his rugged and relentless style. That did not turn into a title run for him, but it gave him enough name value to stay in some prominent positions, enough so that by his 2019 “Fight of the Year” contender against Vicente Luque, Barberena was fully established as a fighter who guaranteed excitement with every trip to the Octagon. Even in a loss, Barberena’s career seemed to be at its peak, which made the next few years all the more harrowing. After a subsequent setback to Randy Brown, Barberena spent the greater part of two years on the shelf thanks to multiple career- and life-threatening injuries. Understandably, Barberena looked quite flat upon his full-time return, even shockingly dropping a decision to Jason Witt. Barberena obviously did well over the years to become a more technically sound fighter, but the worry was that his body had betrayed him just when he figured to benefit from those gains. Since the Witt loss, Barberena has put together two straight wins, including an all-action victory over Matt Brown in March. Barberena may be diminished, but he is still capable of wading through damage and gutting things out to an impressive degree. Lawler does need to pace himself at times, so there is a chance that Barberena can take this just by fighting hard for 15 full minutes. However, Lawler still has enough craft—and he may actually be the sprier fighter—to likely take at least two rounds, especially since Barberena does not appear to be the level of wrestler at this point who can take him fully out of his game. This should be an enjoyable watch. The pick is Lawler via decision.
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Adesanya vs. Cannonier
Volkanovski vs. Holloway
Strickland vs. Pereira
Lawler vs. Barberena
O’Malley vs. Munhoz
The Prelims