Lawler not concerned about spotlight headed into UFC title defense
After two of the biggest events in Ultimate Fighting Championship history, Saturday's UFC 195 card at MGM Grand feels as if it has been lost in the shuffle.
That's just fine with welterweight champion Robbie Lawler, who will headline the show with a title defense against Carlos Condit.
He's more concerned with making people talk after the fight.
"Nothing bothers me. I don't care about being overshadowed. I like creeping up on people, being the quiet guy that's just coming to fight and do battle. I've never been in the game for the spotlight. I'm in this game because I love it. I love fighting. I love competing. I love pushing myself," he said during a conference call on Monday afternoon. "When push comes to shove and I'm on the biggest stage, I'm going to be the guy who's showcasing my skills and I'm going to shine bright. That's what I always focus on. I don't worry about what I'm not getting. I worry about what I'm going to get."
Lawler last competed in July, retaining the belt with a fifth-round knockout of Rory MacDonald in what is widely considered the best fight of 2015. Still, his return to the cage has been buried by headlines about Ronda Rousey's shocking knockout loss to Holly Holm in front of a record crowd in Australia at UFC 193 and Conor McGregor's 13-second knockout of longtime featherweight champ Jose Aldo at UFC 194.
"Everyone else is doing great things, but so am I," Lawler said. "The sport's just going to continue to grow and there's going to be different stars out there, but I'll get my chance to shine."
His next opportunity will come Saturday against Condit, a former World Extreme Cagefighting champion and perennial 170-pound contender.
While the matchup has all the makings of another instant classic, Lawler would rather just get through it.
"You don't want to have to showcase your warrior spirit or how much heart you have in every fight," he said. " You want to get it done as quickly as possible and get that win."
Another victory would be five straight for Lawler and eight in his last nine bouts. It would also mean a second-consecutive title defense and further raise his profile.
At this point, however, not much about being champion has altered the lifestyle of the reserved 33-year-old veteran.
"Not much has changed other than people want my autograph and to take pictures with me a little more than they did before. But I just keep to the same circle," he said. "I'm not really venturing out and doing many things that aren't fight-related. I'm just staying humble and keep grinding away and concentrating on what got me here, which is hard work and continuing to improve."
This fight was originally scheduled to take place at UFC 193 in Australia, but was scrapped when Lawler suffered a thumb injury.
He says it healed up with a month of rest and he's completely healed up now.
In addition to his health, Lawler is buoyed by the confidence he has gained by winning the belt.
"I feel really good. It's a lot of hard work finally paying off. but i'm just continuing to do what it took to get me here, which is hard work and always keep learning," he said. "My coaches and I always stress just getting better and work on all aspects so I'll be ready to fight and take everything to the next level every single time I compete."
He'll have another chance to show that on Saturday.
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj
