Robbie Lawler Robbie Lawler fought four times in the octagon this year on a title push that ultimately netted the UFC welterweight belt this past Saturday at UFC 181. Moving forward, though, he anticipates easing back his schedule as the champion. Two brutal fights with Johny Hendricks (16-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) took up half his year, and while the latter meeting brought him his biggest accolade to date, Lawler (25-10 MMA, 10-4 UFC) is feeling a need to take time off. “I feel like if I take a step back and relax a little bit and rest, I’ll be able to come back as a better fighter,” Lawler today told MMAjunkie Radio. “I feel like four (fights a year) would be pushing it at my age right now, especially the caliber of fighters that I’m going up against, but I feel like two to three a year isn’t bad, depending on how far apart they are.” Lawler, 32, might have extended his career by avoiding sparring sessions for more than a half-decade. Still, he’s on the cusp of his 14th year as a pro MMA fighter, a period in which several of his contemporaries have come and gone.
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What’s next for Robbie Lawler? New UFC champ lays out 2015 plans – MMA Junkie