UFC
Firas Zahabi thinks UFC 189 challenger Rory MacDonald learned valuable lesson from Robbie Lawler loss
Jul 1, 2015 - 12:50:40 PM Firas Zahabi thinks UFC 189 challenger Rory MacDonald learned valuable lesson from Robbie Lawler loss

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Rory MacDonald and Robbie Lawler meet for the second time next weekend, with MacDonald not only trying to avenge a decision loss from that bout, but capture the UFC Welterweight Championship in the process.

When the two fought in December of 2013, MacDonald was riding high on a five fight winning streak, while Lawler had made an exciting return to the UFC with consecutive stoppages of Josh Koscheck and Bobby Voelker. MacDonald was expected to win that fight, and his head trainer Firas Zahabi thinks it might have gotten to his head a little bit.

"I think the first time around a lot of people were underestimating Robbie Lawler," Zahabi said in an interview with BloodyElbow.com. "I honestly wasn't. I thought he was a very dangerous opponent, but I feel a lot of the people in the media, and Rory's friends and entourage... everybody was kind of thinking that Robbie Lawler was an easier fight than normal, and that this should be a pick-up win for him. And it's not like that. I think Rory learned that every fight is dangerous.

"It's a valuable lesson, and I think that fight made him stronger. I think on July 11 you're going to see a more calculating Rory MacDonald, a more precise Rory, a more experienced Rory MacDonald. It's gonna make a big difference from the first fight."

Zahabi also added that MacDonald had battled through more injuries in that camp than he'd have liked, and expects a different outcome next week at UFC 189.

Penick's Analysis: Lawler's win over MacDonald at that point in time came as a big surprise, and was the thing that pushed Lawler into the title mix with Johny Hendricks last year. Now it doesn't seem as if it should have been a surprise, but things will be quite different in a five round fight with a lot more on the line. MacDonald is very capable of winning this fight, and he and his team know they've got to prove as much. It should be a highly competitive rematch, and with an extra two rounds to work with we should get a definitive look at which of them is better than the other.