UFC
UFC 171's Robbie Lawler says UFC return made him ready to "do what it takes to be a Champion"
Mar 11, 2014 - 1:00:30 PM UFC 171's Robbie Lawler says UFC return made him ready to "do what it takes to be a Champion"

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

If Robbie Lawler has seemed like a different fighter since returning to the UFC, that may because he has been. The 31-year-old has been fighting since he was 18, and for much of that 13-year career he's gotten by on talent alone.

He'll admit as much. Lawler had quite a bit of success in the early part of his career, and went on a tear after his first stint in the UFC, but then he got off track in Strikeforce with losses in five of eight fights.

As he enters a UFC Title fight on Saturday at UFC 171, Lawler says he's a more mature fighter, and that's allowed him to push himself further than he has in the past.

"I didn't really worry about titles. I just enjoyed pushing myself to the limit," Lawler said of his early run during a media conference call for UFC 171 (transcribed by BloodyElbow.com). "Outside the ring I never really wanted to do the PR, I never really wanted to be in the light - I wasn't ready to be in the light. I'm just a quiet guy who loved to fight."

"I think as I matured, I'm ready to take that step, and I'm embracing everything that has to do with the UFC, and I'm ready to be out there in front of everyone, and do what it takes to be a champion. As I got older I started to realize that I need those goals. I need to push myself to be more than just exciting. I need goals, and as soon as I got back to the UFC I put my sights on getting a title, and fighting the best in the world, and that's what I've been doing."

Penick's Analysis: Lawler has had a change of attitude since coming back to the UFC, and he's taking care of things in the cage much better than he had been doing in his Strikeforce run. He was unreliable in Strikeforce at best, and seemed to be in a rapid decline during that run. But he's always had flashes of brilliance. He can be amongst the most violent finishers in the sport when he's at his best, and he's got one hell of a highlight reel. That's one of the reasons UFC President Dana White has given him this opportunity to begin with, and if he pulls it off it will be one of the biggest returns to prominence any fighter has managed in their career.