I just got back from vacation. I did have a great time — thanks for asking. But this first week back has been a whole lot of meh. UFC 200 was like a fabulous vacation. UFC 201? It isn’t all meh, but on paper, it hardly stacks up to the previous card.
UFC 200 was Vegas, baby. UFC 201 is Branson with your grandparents. But just like Arby’s has the meats, I have the reasons to watch UFC 201. And I will also have Arby’s, right after your UFC 201 Preview.
The Main Event Is Amazing
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The main event of UFC 201 is going to be amazing — or absolutely lit, as the younger folks like to say. By the way, stay off my lawn. There are no Pokemon here. The UFC welterweight title is at stake as champion Robbie Lawler takes on challenger Tyron Woodley, who features an exceptional blend of speed, power, and wrestling.
The good news for Lawler fans is that he’s become rather adept at stopping takedowns, something Woodley will likely incorporate in his game plan, even though he hasn’t recorded one since his fight with Carlos Condit in 2014. Should Woodley choose to stand in the pocket and trade with Lawler, this will be a quick main event and Lawler will retain his title. Lawler has one of the best chins in the game, though that has been tested in abundance during his title reign. One might wonder how much a human being can take after 37 fights over 16 years in MMA. But that assumes Lawler is human, and I’ve yet to come to a solid conclusion about that.
What do we want? Another astounding war like the one Lawler was in with Rory MacDonald. When do we want it? Saturday night. But unlike that fight, someone will be going to sleep at UFC 201 and I firmly believe that will be Woodley. Which will further prove one thing: Robbie Lawler is a friggin’ MMA legend.
Robbie Lawler: A Fighter For the Ages
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Lawler made his UFC debut at age 20 in 2002. A month after that, he was featured in the first UFC fight to air on cable TV during Fox’s The Best Damn Sports Show. He knocked out opponent Steve Berger in the second round that night. Since then he fought for PRIDE, Elite XC and Strikeforce, where he challenged Jacare Souza for the middleweight title in 2011.
He returned to the UFC in 2013 after Strikeforce was bought out by Zuffa and absorbed into the UFC. He beat Johny Hendricks — at age 32 — to take the welterweight title in 2014 and has defended it successfully twice. The list of fighters he has shared the cage with is astounding: Chris Lytle, Evan Tanner, Nick Diaz, Jake Shields, Melvin Manhoef, Babalu Sobral, Matt Lindland, Tim Kennedy, Johny Hendricks (x2), Rory MacDonald (x2), Matt Brown, and Carlos Condit. It’s a list compiled of champions, contenders, and some of the most notable fighters in MMA history.
But most importantly, Lawler has been in countless wars that have made fight fans’ hearts race, epic battles filled with thrilling highlights. Perhaps there are fighters as exciting as Robbie Lawler. But none have done it as long as him and in such significant fights. He features two distinct characteristics that we love to see in athletes: indomitable spirit and extreme perseverance. Now go put some respect on his name and watch a legend do work Saturday night at UFC 201.
Your UFC 201 Nickname Battle of the Night
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The UFC 201 Nickname Battle of the Night will take place in the heavyweight division when Anthony “Freight Train” Hamilton takes on Damian “The Polish Pitbull” Grabowski during the preliminary fights, which can be seen on FS2.
Grabowski was smashed in his UFC debut by Derrick “The Black Beast” Lewis, but he has a slick ground game which could prove problematic for Hamilton. Some thought that might be the case for Lewis, but he just overpowered the Pole and finished him before he could get anything going. Hamilton holds height and weight advantages and he has good power, though not on the scale of The Black Beast. It’s a fairly intriguing matchup, and anytime you put two enormous men in the cage, chances are you are going to see a spectacular ending.
Five For Fighting
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Five more fighters you’ll want to watch at UFC 201.
- Jorge Masvidal. “Gamebred” came from the same streets as Kimbo Slice, and he’s turned himself into an outstanding mixed martial artist. His movement is a pleasure to watch, and his fight IQ is off the charts. He’ll counterpunch opponent Ross Pearson for 15 minutes. It might not end in a brutal fashion, but it will be poetry in motion.
- Rose Namajunas. “Thug” Rose is the No. 3-ranked UFC strawweight and if she beats No. 5-ranked Karolina Kowalkevicz, she will be next in line for a shot at Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Her Jiu-Jitsu game is stellar and she fights at a break-neck pace. You will be entertained.
- Karolina Kowalkiewicz. We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Kowalkiewicz along with Namajunas. She had little trouble with contender Randa Markos in her UFC debut, then easily bested veteran Heather Clark in her last fight. Champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk said Kowalkiewicz will never fight with her, but a win on Saturday night and that fight could be a reality.
- Matt Brown. It’s been tough sledding for Brown since he started fighting the upper tier of the UFC welterweight division. He’s still ranked in the top-10, but it looks as if his title hopes have been all but dashed after losing three of his last four fights. But once the cage door shuts, that’s all irrelevant. Brown brings it each and every time he fights, and this one has little chance of going to a decision.
- Nikita Krylov. “The Miner” has won four straight and they’ve all been finishes. The streak has vaulted him into the rankings, currently sitting at No. 11. It’s always fun to watch a young fighter climb his way into contention, especially one as exciting as Krylov.
How to Watch UFC 201
The early prelims feature two fights and they can be seen on UFC Fight Pass at 7 p.m. ET. The prelims move to FS2 at 8 p.m. ET, then the main card is on PPV at 10 p.m. ET.
