Neil Magny defeated his third former UFC welterweight champion on Saturday night with a lopsided decision to hand Robbie Lawler his fourth consecutive loss in a row.
Round over round, Magny showed superior striking and grappling, which kept Lawler guessing at every turn. By the end of the third round, Magny bloodied Lawler on the feet after nearly seeking several submission attempts on the ground. The judges all agreed with Magny earning 30-27 scores across the board.
“I’m doing the right things and I’m going in the right direction,” Magny said after the win. “I’m right there for top 10.
“Any of those guys that are ready to go. Let’s get me another fight this year and make a run at the title.
In a strange twist after an initial exchange, it was Lawler who initiated the grappling by attempting to bring Magny to the ground with a takedown. Magny was able to stave off Lawler’s wrestling and then he began looking for several chokes as he stayed in control of the action on the mat.
At the start of round two, Magny blasted Lawler with a solid combination that ended with a hard kick before rushing forward to look for a takedown of his own.
On the ground, Magny quickly took the back while looking to secure the submission as Lawler was stuck playing defense. After potentially setting up a Twister, Magny continued to pepper away at Lawler while just wearing away at Lawler with his grappling.
Knowing he was down on the scorecards, Lawler came out swinging in the final round as he looked for the finish. Lawler managed to Magny with a couple of solid shots but it wasn’t enough to keep the former Ultimate Fighter competitor from engaging with him.
Showing no fear to trade shots with a known knockout artist, Magny jabbed at Lawler from distance and then blasted the former champion with a knee strike that busted his nose. When it was over, Magny was all smiles while Lawler was clearly frustrated by his performance.
After notching his third straight win in 2020, Magny wants to fight again before the year is over and it certainly appears he’s working his way up the rankings after taking out a legend like Lawler at UFC Vegas 8.
