UFC 290: Pros react to Robbie Lawler retiring in legendary style
Two days after his legendary battle with Rory MacDonald was honored with a spot in the Fight Wing of the UFC Hall of Fame, Robbie Lawler has his final fight in MMA. And he got to close his career out in legendary style, scoring a first-round knockout of Niko Price to close out the prelims for UFC 290.
After clipping Price twice with his first two strikes, Lawler caught Price coming in and unleashed a brutal combination that dropped Price unconscious.
Lawler ultimately got the knockout in 38 seconds.
UFC 290: Pros react to the retirement of Robbie Lawler
That’s how you end your career
— C H🖕🏽T O🇪🇨V E R A (@chitoveraUFC) July 9, 2023
— Paul Felder (@felderpaul) July 9, 2023
OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!! LETS GOOOO ROBBIE! Take it all in my friend! #UFC290
— “Wonderboy” Thompson (@WonderboyMMA) July 9, 2023
Couldn’t of written it up better than that champ congrats 🎊🎈🍾
— Terrance McKinney (@twrecks155) July 9, 2023
Wow! The Ruthless one!!!
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) July 9, 2023
That's dope as hell man. What a great way to end your career. Congrats @Ruthless_RL #UFC290
— Sodiq Yusuff (@Super_Sodiq) July 9, 2023
Wow! absolute Legend! Congratulations Robbie 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 #UFC290
— BRYAN BARBERENA (@bryan_barberena) July 9, 2023
Glad I didn’t blink! @Ruthless_RL Wow! #UFC290
— Walt Harris (@thebigticket205) July 9, 2023
The man, the myth, the legend, Robert Glenn Lawler.
— Chris Curtis The Action Man (@Actionman513) July 9, 2023
Hell of a way to go and there will never be another. All hail the Ruthless one.#UFC290
It just got dusty inside of T-Mobile arena.
— Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) July 9, 2023
What an amazing ending to such a storied career. Congrats @Ruthless_RL and thank you for the amazing fights. #UFC290
Robbie Lawler super valid career ! Outward #UFC290
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) July 9, 2023
Robbie. Lawler. Legend.
— Lando Vannata (@GroovyLando) July 9, 2023
Lawler made his professional MMA debut in 2001 at just 19 years old. The next year, he made his UFC debut at UFC 37, winning three straight before dropping three of his next four — including a classic fight with Nick Diaz at UFC 47.
After his departure from the UFC, Lawler competed in various promotions like PRIDE, ICON Sport and the IFL before joining EliteXC, where he went on to become the promotion's final middleweight champion.
Lawler then had a tenure with Strikeforce, where he once challenged for the Strikeforce middleweight title, before returning to the UFC.
Lawler won his first three fights in his UFC return before facing Johny Hendricks for the UFC welterweight title at UFC 171. While he lost that fight, a pair of victories earned him a rematch, and he'd go on to capture the UFC welterweight title in that fight at UFC 181.
Lawler defended the title twice in legendary battles with MacDonald, as well as Carlos Condit.
UFC 290 takes place on Saturday, July 8, from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. Follow along with FanSided MMA, who is on site, for all your live news and highlights.
Next. Top 10 knockouts that ended a UFC career. dark