Would you pick Robbie over Wonderboy?

[DesertSin]

Robbie... I'm not sure if Wonderboy can handle the punishment he will have to take in order to win. Lawler may not land at a high rate, but he definitely will make sure when he does it will do damage. Can Wonderboy handle a different type of savage (cue the Lawler Rory end of Rd. 4 this man is not sane gif)? I don't know, so I have to side with the champ via accumulation of a beat down that begins in earnest at the end of round 2, once Thompson starts slowing down from the strikes that land.

 

[Akabignasty]

Robbie

 

[WouldNotBang]

does Robbie have enough to take down Wonder boy and keep him from popping back up? whats so hard to understand brah?

Robbie going for a takedown. It's not an approach I see Lawler implement often. I guess it's possible.

 

[LHWBelt]

Robbie going for a takedown.

He did against Brown.

 

[kenetics]

Don't care. Nick will beat both.

 

[WouldNotBang]

Robbie's fight with Brown was pretty close until he started taking him down in the 3rd or 4th. I wouldn't be that surprised to see him utilize take downs although we haven't seen it lately. His wrestling is def still there that's why guys keep going toe to toe with a dangerous ass striker, they don't have much choice.

I totally forgot Robbie took him down. I'm so used to seeing him keep the fight standing. I just looked it up. He's actually had three takedowns since his return to UFC. He hadn't had a takedown since 2007 prior.

source http://www.fightmetric.com/fighter-details/f2925e6db404bf1d

 

[Sparkie]

It's hard to bet against Steven Thompson right now after his demolition of a very tough opponent in Johny Hendricks.

(Maybe Johny was not his usual self?)

The level of Wonderboy's striking is just so impressive. He has such varied and devastating striking tools... if he is able to defend takedowns by keeping his opponent at his favoured distance with strikes, or... with takedown defence... he is showing himself to be a difficult puzzle to solve.

 

[theheater]

Lawler gets smoked imo

Lawler was gifted the title vs hendricks, had to pull the fifth round out of his hat to beat rory, and apparently the condit fight was super controversial. Probably the least dominant defending champ in ufc history. Also remember this is all for gsps vacated belt

Lawler has been squeaking by and been gifted fights vs lesser strikers. Hes been through war after war and getting up there in age. Wonderboy is a far superior striker and keeps improving. Lawlers style does not pose any special stylistic challenges that are some sort of curveball

 

[Arete9]

Honestly, I have to go with Thompson. He seems to have evolved his game to the highest level. The diversity he brings is unparalleled.

However, folks need to slow down and respect the champ. Robbie has been doing this a long time. He's a seasoned striker and fighter, a veteran and (like I said) the champ.

I picked Thompson, I get it. But everybody needs to temper themselves and remember we tend to favor new events more than older ones when making decisions. Let's show some respect for the champ.

 

[KillerElite]

You bandwagon fans picking Wonderboy. You all will abandon if he gets raped like magny.

 

[dfoster]

Hendricks looked like deer meat in headlights

fixed

 

[KillerElite]

Wonderboy is a taller, slower version of Condit. Look Big Rig got demolished... however look objectively, he blocked every RHK coming his way. why? was Wonderboy slow? i doubt it, but a boy that big and tall, makes big sweeping motions to kick and lift off, so Big Rig blocked every kick. Sure it busted him up pretty good, but he did block it, otherwise he'd have been KTFO.

Wonderboy just wore Hendricks down, BUT objectively Hendricks did block 90% of what Wonderboy was dishing out, and Lawler who was testing by machine gun fucking Condit, has better defense.

This is 3rd round Lawler v. Condit, just look at Robbies improved defense, it's really amazing how much he blocked/checked/dodged from Condit.

Doesn't change the fact that he lost that fight.

 

[dfoster]

Robbie has a tendency to head hunt when he's behind on strikes landed. The more you land on him the more he head hunts. Wonderboy would just light him up.

 

[dfoster]

On the other hand, Lawler has the durability and tenacity of Brown who beat Wonderboy so may be that would be the difference maker.

 

[Red Triangle]

Only if Robbie went for TD's. Otherwise Wonderboy wins the stand up.

 

[Lanx]

176 out of 495, 35% hit. You can either view that Robbie got hit 176x or he avoid/blocked 396 hits, in Lawler v. Condit.

86 out of 222, 38% hit, this is Lawler v. Rory

It's not like these 2 are push-overs, no one would dare say that, Robbie went to war defending his title.

Wonderboy looked great against Big Rig, he also has really high hit percentage, i'd say he hovers at 50%.

Would Wonderboy just smoke Robbie, just he did Big Rig? Wonderboy hasn't been excruciatingly tested, in Robbies last 7 fights he's gone the distance of either 3 or 5 championship rounds.

IMO, it's all about time, Wonderboy has to finish Robbie just like he did Big Rig, in either the first or second round. If it gets dragged on, he's gonna be punished.

 

[LHWBelt]

I totally forgot Robbie took him down. I'm so used to seeing him keep the fight standing. I just looked it up. He's actually had three takedowns since his return to UFC. He hadn't had a takedown since 2007 prior.

source http://www.fightmetric.com/fighter-details/f2925e6db404bf1d

Only reason I remember is because I have rewatched his UFC fights recently from when he returned to the UFC, the next one is the Macdonald one, which happens to be the best one. The striking was pretty even with Brown though tbh.

 

[CatchnShoot]

Robbie's got a lot more heart than Hendricks does now...JH just isn't the same dude any longer. He was lost after he couldn't get Thompson down right away.
Not a slam dunk, but Robbie ain't folding for nobody.

That said, I'd rather see Thompson vs the champ though (Condit obv.)

 

[Zorrox]

Robbie has a tendency to head hunt when he's behind on strikes landed. The more you land on him the more he head hunts. Wonderboy would just light him up.

This is true, but Robbie has been able to take out fighters who were maybe more technically sound doing this. Guy is an animal.

 

[BALLERSTATUSMCG]

Robbie will go ape shit on this fool.. he will not need to conserve for later rounds like he is fighting hendricks or condit.. he will come in the first two rounds very aggressive looking for the knock out