ALDO OUT !!!!! Mendes in.

Seriously ::

I swear down, Anthony doesn't half talk some utter shit sometimes.

 

His timing, accuracy, footwork and power are all as good as it gets at 170 right now.

He managed to out jab a guy with a very good jab AND a height/reach advantage. He controlled range with a guy with a height/reach advantage. You don't do those things if you just have power.

Not to mention, Lawler's patience is elite. His drive is elite. His endurance is elite. His pain threshold or ability to take punishment is elite.

Do you need more?

 

Er, pretty much everything about him, which explains his recent run through a string of good fighters, with only 1 loss which he then avenged.

The guy can flat out fight, his standup is patient and solid, good speed and power, good movement and timing, good at scrambling, good at keeping the fight standing, and proficient enough on the ground if it does go there.

He is undoubtedly elite now, unsurprisingly you're the only person in the thread that disagrees.

 

I can't deny, from what I've seen of him, that kickboxer nerd looks pretty damn good. I'd like to see that fight.

 

The dude actually manhandled Ellenberger grappling last night before sniper shooting him with a ridiculous spinning heel kick. He looks 100% better than he did losing to Matt Brown.

Thompson is training with Weidman at Serra-Longo. He's getting a crash course in MMA grappling. If he doesn't become champion, I'll be shocked.

 

OK, just substitute "good" with "elite", if that would illustrate the point better.

The thing is, Robbie's recent run has already proved you wrong.

 

It won't be easy. Obviously he can beat Hendricks in a rubber match but it wont be easy. But do you think Woodley gives him any problem in a five round fight? I don't.

 

For argument's sake, let's say that's true. There are plenty of elite fighters that are good in all areas, and not elite in one.

It's easier to be elite by being good at everything, with no glaring weaknesses, than being shit in most areas, but elite in one.

Either way, Robbie's striking is elite, that's not even arguable. He's also elite at keeping the fight standing.

 

You can argue whether Lawler is 'elite' or not. What you can't argue though, is Lawler is one of the best fighters in the sport today, right now. He's not out there beating scrubs, he's beating ranked fighters. He beat Hendrix, who is ranked 1. He beat Rory 2x, who is ranked 2. He beat Brown, who is ranked 5. When he beat Ellenberger, Ellenberger was ranked around 5 or 6 (I'd have to look that one up.)

That's a pretty damn impressive resume, especially compared to most of the rest of the fighters in the UFC.

Lawler is firing on all cylinders right now. He's fighting at the right weight class, and his confidence has to be soaring. He's gonna be tough to beat, no matter who he faces.

As for Rory? That's the kind of beating that changes careers. I honestly don't see him recovering from that loss. He'll never be the same fighter again.


TFK

 

Which of course, makes him elite. Doesn't matter what you think of Robbie and his style, the results speak for themselves.

Frock looks like a fighting farmer, he looks pretty fucking far from elite, but he is/was undoubtedly an elite fighter.

 

GSP could come back and dominate him, and he'd still be elite - just like Frock losing to Ward didn't disprove his credentials as an elite fighter. He'd already proven he was elite.

Robbie has done the same in recent fights. Doesn't matter what you think of him from an analytical standpoint, he's proven he belongs at the very top of the sport, and is the current UFC WW champion - ie he's an elite fighter.

 

Matt Brown neutralized it pretty effectively. :kidcool:

 

The dude has honestly improved in leaps and bounds. I wrote him off after the Brown fight but he has really worked his grappling and even looks physically stronger.

 

UFC 189 Was Everything Mayweather - Pacquaio Was Not

http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Opinion-UFC-189-Was-Everything-MayweatherPacquiao-Was-Not-89051

Good article.

 

We were talking about Wonderboy not Lawler.

But Lawler just shouldn't have been at 185.

 

PHENOMENAL Evening of Fights, Last Saturday:cheer:...

There's Still Work to Be Done, but "The Notorious" Conor McGreggor has Shown he's The Goods...Would've Been VERY Easy to Get Overwhelmed in the Moment, Considering How WELL Mendes Started & Slicing him Open w/the Elbow, but McGreggor's Not Built like that...

Mental Toughness in SPADES, Punch Resistance, Unshakeable BELIEF in Himself...It's Going to Be VERY Difficult for Any Featherweights to Beat McGreggor...Like Others, REED Would Give Frankie Edgar the BEST Chance, but as was the Case w/Mendes, Edgar will Also Be DWARFED...

A STAR was Born Saturday Night...Ronda Rousey and "The Notorious" will CARRY UFC for the Foreseeable Future...McGreggor's a Dude You Simply HAVE to Watch, Period...

Kudos to Robbie Lawler...REED's Never Been Wowed by the Guy, but You Have to Respect his STEADY Progression Through the Division...He BROKE Rory McDonald, Plain and Simple....REED'll Stop Short of Saying Dude "Bitched Up", but REED has NEVER Seen Such a Talented Fighter ACCEPT Defeat like that...Yes, w/a Broken Nose, that Kill Shot Had to Hurt like Hell, but it's the Hurt BUSINESS...Rory Never Lost Consciousness or Anything, he Got Drilled, Looked for a Spot to Lay and TURTLED...

It was a WINNABLE Fucking Fight...Back and Forth Action...Fight Until You Can NO LONGER Fight...Don't ACCEPT Defeat Mentally...When he's ALONE w/His Own Thoughts, Rory KNOWS Robbie BROKE Him...Robbie KNOWS it Too...





REED:kidcool:

 

Did you see the video of Rory after the stoppage? He was having difficulties just sitting up. His body couldn't take any more punishment.

 

Agreed on Rory, he basically quit from pain imo. Seems a pretty recurrent them about his defeats, take his best early and he'll fold late. Nothing shameful about it, but his heart ain't on the same level as his skill set. If it was, he'd be really special.

 

What's worse is I've never seen him give one inch of ground. Nothing like "Yeah okay you five people might be half right on this tiny 1% aspect of your whole claim..." NO! ::

 

I agree with you. Rory didn't quit. His body just shut down. He fought as long as he could.

TFK

 

Never been a fan of Rory, but agree too, he didn't really quit. It was more like his body quit, he tried to hang in there as long as he could.