UFC 195 Results: 7 Things We Learned From Lawler Vs Condit

7. The Main Event Was One Of The Greatest Fights Of All-Time

In a sport that is prone to hyperbolic descriptions of fights and those who participate in them, I can honestly say that the Robbie Lawler/Carlos Condit brawi is deserving of every accolade that will be heaped upon it and many more that probably won't. Expectations were high going into the contest as both men have a penchant for always bringing it once the ref turns them loose, and the two soldiers didn't disappoint. The career renaissance of Robbie Lawler has been a story worthy of a Hollywood film; and ever since returning to the UFC he's been one of the most exciting guys on the roster. No one could have predicted the Lawler who had previously washed out of UFC and spent years trading wins in Strikeforce would ever climb to the top of the sport's mountain, but he's done so with a hunger that every young fighter should strive to emulate. Carlos Condit can always be counted on to set off fireworks inside the cage and has accumulated a hell of a personal highlight reel. This was his second challenge for the welterweight title and both times out he's laid it all on the line. "The Natural Born Killer" and "Ruthless" Robbie spent 25 minutes abusing each other for our enjoyment and fought a very crowd-pleasing style. It's virtually unheard of to see a five rounder take place with zero takedown or submission attempts but that's exactly what this was. Two guys who were focused on finishing their opponent via strikes in lieu of taking the easy way out, and I salute them for it. The first four rounds were fantastic, but that fifth round...wow. It was the type of performance that will draw comparisons to the legendary Forrest Griffin/Stephan Bonnar classic, but honestly this was event better, with heavier stakes and more refined technique. Too often we see competitors who are obviously behind on the scorecards come out in the final round and frustratingly lack the urgency required to get the job done. Lawler displayed the perfect example of a champion's heart and gave those final 300 seconds everything he had. At the same time Condit, rather than being comfortable with his advantage and playing it safe for the final round, elected to stand in front of one of the hardest hitters in the sport and go toe-to-toe the entire time. Both men are absolute f*cking warriors and I'm humbled by the guts and determination that they poured out inside that octagon. Thank you.