Former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler has his return set for this summer. ‘Ruthless’ will face off against fan-favorite Bryan Barberena.
The fight was announced by MMAJunkie as well as Barberena himself. The bout is being added to a card without the main event but has other bouts scheduled for the undercard. Other fights slated for UFC 276 are Miesha Tate vs. Lauren Murphy, and Uriah Hall taking on Andre Muniz.
The fight between Robbie Lawler and Bryan Barberena has all the makings of a classic on paper. Both men have extremely fan-friendly styles and are coming off big victories inside the octagon.
Lawler’s last appearance came at UFC 267 in a rematch with Nick Diaz. 17 years after their first installment ended with ‘Ruthless’ being knocked out at UFC 47, he exacted his revenge. The former UFC welterweight champion scored the victory over the Stockton slugger via third-round TKO.
The win snapped a four-fight losing streak for Lawler, having been defeated by names such as Colby Covington and Ben Askren. A win over Barberena allows the former champion to break back into the rankings.
Bryan Barberena, on the other hand, is riding a two-fight winning streak inside the octagon. ‘Bam Bam’ was last seen in action in March, scoring a split decision victory over Matt Brown in a ‘Fight of the Night’ encounter.
Prior to that win, he had scored a decisive unanimous decision win over Darian Weeks. Following the win over Brown, Barberena’s contract expired, and was unsure if he’d re-sign with the UFC. With the news of his fight with Lawler, it seems that he’s being brought back for another run.
