Former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler (29-16) will return in December. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto was the first to report earlier this evening that the former champion would make his return in December against Santiago Ponzinibbio (28-6).
The fight will take place at UFC 282 on December 10th. For Ponzinibbio, he’s going to be looking to snap a two-fight losing streak. The last time we saw him was at a UFC Fight Night on May 21st when he took on Michel Pereira.
Ponzinibbio fought well, but ultimately came up short in that one. It was his second straight loss by split decision. A few years ago, Ponzinibbio looked like a guy who could challenge for the title. However, injuries kept him out of the octagon for a couple of years.
Since returning to the UFC, he’s just 1-3 in four fights. He’s still looking to recapture what led him to being considered a top contender. Fighting a legend like Robbie Lawler will give him the opportunity to do that.
Former UFC champ returns
Robbie Lawler fought last September against Nick Diaz at UFC 266. Lawler looked great in that matchup and ultimately stopped Diaz in the third round of their fight. Then, he was booked to take on Bryan Barberena at UFC 276.
Once again, Lawler looked really sharp in this matchup. He fought with a lot of forward pressure and went after “Bam Bam”. However, he couldn’t find the shot to put him away. As the fight went on, Lawler started looking tired and was ultimately caught and finished by Barberena.
With that loss, Lawler dropped to 2-6 in his last eight fights. Lawler will just be three months shy of turning 41 when he fights Ponzinibbio in December. If the fight doesn’t go his way, one has to wonder if this will be the end of his career.