Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald Set UFC 189
By MMA Junkie
July’s big UFC 189 event will be a blockbuster and now boasts a second title fight.
UFC President Dana White today announced UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler (25-10 MMA, 10-4 UFC) will attempt his first title defense when he meets Rory MacDonald (18-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) this summer at UFC 189.
UFC 189 takes place July 11 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The pay-per-view main card also features a previously announced title fight between featherweight champion Jose Aldo (25-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) and challenger Conor McGregor (17-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC).
Although heavier weight classes usually headline in the case of UFC championship doubleheaders, Aldo vs. McGregor will serve as the main event, officials said.
Lawler is ranked No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA welterweight rankings (and No. 8 pound-for-pound). MacDonald is ranked No. 3 at 170 pounds. The fighters first met in 2013, when Lawler earned a split-decision win at UFC 167; every major media outlet scored it 29-28 for Lawler.
Lawler, who narrowly won the title from Johny Hendricks in December, was expected to meet his recent foe in a rubber match. However, officials ultimately changed their mind and booked Hendricks against Matt Brown at UFC 185 next month. Lawler, a 32-year-old American Top Team fighter who resurrected his career after dropping from middleweight to welterweight, is now 6-1 over his past seven fights. The 14-year vet’s only loss during that span came in his first meeting with Hendricks, which took place in March 2014 as they fought for Georges St-Pierre’s vacated belt.
MacDonald, meanwhile, finally gets a long-promised title shot that never seemed certain. In fact, despite being told he’d get a shot at the belt after beating Tarec Saffiedine in October, the 25-year-old Canadian was then slated to fight Hector Lombard – until his would-be UFC 186 opponent failed a drug test. Now, the Tristar Gym fighter is carrying a three-fight winning streak (with eight wins in his past nine fights) into his long-awaited and first title shot.
The latest UFC 189 card now includes:
Champ Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor – for featherweight title
Champ Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald – for welterweight title
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