4. Robbie Lawler vs. Douglas Lima
No one garners more respect or adoration from the masses than Lawler, a man who has reinvented himself since returning to the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2013. The former EliteXC and Icon Sport champion has participated in three consecutive “Fight of the Year” encounters with Johny Hendricks (2014), Rory MacDonald (2015) and Carlos Condit (2016), winning all three of them. The five-round split decision over Hendricks at UFC 181 brought with it the welterweight crown -- a title Lawler carried for the better part of two years before surrendering it to Tyron Woodley. He could soon get the chance to recapture the 170-pound championship, as he faces Rafael dos Anjos in a title eliminator at UFC on Fox 26 in December. Lima, meanwhile, has staked his claim as Bellator’s premier welterweight in two separate title reigns. In his current stint as champion, the Atlanta-based Brazilian outdueled onetime Lawler tormentor Lorenz Larkin at Bellator 180. Next on Lima’s docket: a showdown with the aforementioned MacDonald in 2018.
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