On today 10 years ago, one in all the best UFC fights we’ve ever seen took place in Las Vegas.
Robbie Lawler’s iconic title run cemented him as one in all the best welterweights of all time.
The Hall of Famer was involved in a few of the easiest UFC title fights, with the incredible heart and toughness of the champion seeing him emerge victorious.
In a run of classic matchups, there may be one in all Lawler’s title defenses that stands above the remaining because the highlight of his remarkable profession.
The co-main event of UFC 189 was such a forwards and backwards war that even Lawler admitted that his opponent was never the identical again after what they went through on July 11 of 2015.
Dana White questioned whether Rory MacDonald can be permanently modified by UFC 189
Robbie Lawler’s rematch with Rory MacDonald for the welterweight title at UFC 189 stays one in all the best title fights of all time.
Despite the challenger nearly pulling off a remarkable victory after hurting the resilient champion with a head kick, Lawler’s toughness one way or the other kept him within the fight.
In the ultimate round, the damage that MacDonald had taken throughout the fight eventually caught as much as him as he fell to the ground to place an end to a war for the ages.
While Lawler actually didn’t come through the fight unscathed, MacDonald had pushed himself to the brink to attempt to win the 170-pound belt.
In his post-fight press conference, Dana White stated that the challenger didn’t know what yr it was when he was asked backstage after exiting the Octagon.
The UFC CEO didn’t produce a definitive statement on what can be next for the division following Lawler’s title defense and questioned whether MacDonald would ever be the identical again.
“Guys who know the fight business and have been around an extended time, a fight like tonight can change you,” White said. “We’ll see what Rory’s got when he comes back, but straight away he’s the second baddest dude on this planet within the 170-pound division.”
Rory MacDonald only fought yet one more time within the UFC before parting ways with the promotion
After nearly a full yr away from the Octagon, Rory MacDonald looked to bounce back from UFC 189 but was defeated by Stephen Thompson in what can be his final UFC fight.
‘Red King’ was recently in attendance for the fan Q&A event at UFC 315 in May where he was asked about whether he has ever considered making a return.
“I mean, now and again, [the itch] has come back but shortly after, once I actually give it some thought and what it entails, I’m not that form of person anymore. I don’t have the drive, the intensity it takes to be at a championship level anymore.”
After leaving the UFC, MacDonald fought in Bellator and the PFL for five years before retiring in August of 2022.