Robbie Lawler says comeback Knockout over Manhoef was part of the plan

Published on: 2nd February, 2010

Robbie Lawler says comeback Knockout over Manhoef was part of the plan | read this item

Robbie Lawler tells MMAWeekly.com despite only landing three punches in his win over Melvin Manhoef at StrikeForce ‘Miami’ this past weekend, he had a gameplan coming into their fight.

“That was the plan. I was expecting him to close the distance with hands, me just shoot underneath him, pick him up and slam him and ride the dog (expletive) out of him, but I just felt that he was moving so well in and out,” Lawler told MMAWeekly.com after the win.

Lawler also must have watched Manhoef’s destruction of Japanese legend Kazushi Sakuraba last year at the DREAM middleweight tournament, because he says he refused to lower his stance and let the dangerous striker end his night with a head kick.

“Anytime I planted my feet he wouldn’t engage so much. He would move. He would circle. Anytime I flinched him he would back up, but I didn’t want to lower my level and get kicked in. the head, because even if he’s. kicking my legs, if I lower my head I could get caught with a knee of something. He was doing a good job.”

While Lawler got the win Manhoef punished his leg with kick after kick, which Lawler says got worse as they kept coming.

“Really not even to the body just to my lead leg, he was really going to town on it,” Lawler said about the damage he endured from the fight. “It was getting worse with Lawler said about the damage he endured from the fight. “It was getting worse with every kick.”

Luckily, Lawler’s over hand right punch secured the comeback win after what appeared would be a one sided beating.

“I just wanted him to come in with some hands and be able to fire back with him. He threw that kick and it kind of turned me into a righty, and I threw that right hand and t happened to finish him,” Lawler commented. “He was kind of doing the same thing it happened to finish him,” Lawler commented. “He was kind of doing the same thing over and over again. He would kick my legs and look to finish with the hands. The ast time he did it, it was a mistake.”

With the win over Manhoef, Lawler now will look to make another run at the middleweight title. Perhaps another fight against Scott Smith is in the cards for him as well.

Narcisist is the Co-owner of UR Dirt and is the designer, editor and author. URDirt.com is a MMA blog that covers the UFC, WEC, StrikeForce, DREAM and several other Mixed Martial Art promotions. Read more from this author