StatFox.com - Sports Handicapping Community

The Leader In Sports Handicapping

UFC 181: Hendricks vs. Lawler
By:   - 
Published: 12/6/2014  at  3:56:00 AM
  Print This Article    

UFC 181: Hendricks vs. Lawler

Saturday, Dec. 6 – 11:45 p.m. ET
Las Vegas, NV

Johny Hendricks (16-2) vs. Robbie Lawler (24-10)

Welterweight bout
Line: Hendricks -225, Lawler +180

Robby Lawler looks to get the belt at UFC 181 as he faces Johny Hendricks in a rematch of UFC 171 on Saturday night.

These two fought at UFC 171 for the interim welterweight belt, with Hendricks escaping with a unanimous decision victory. It was a very competitive fight, with Lawler winning at least two rounds in a fight that have gone either way. Since that defeat, Lawler has been flat dominant in his past two fights, including a decision victory against Matt Brown on July 26. For Lawler, the past two fights have been about getting back in title contention, and now he is here. Lawler’s nickname is "Ruthless," and that fits his fighting style perfectly. He is willing to do whatever it takes to get the victory, and he is not worried about taking punches as well. While he is focused and determined to get the belt, he will be going up against a star in Hendricks. While he has not fought since the match against Lawler, Hendricks is a big-time athlete who is incredibly strong for the welterweight class. Before the match against Lawler, he fought then champion Georges St.-Pierre for the belt, but loss by split decision. However, anybody who watched the fight knew that Hendricks really should've won the match. St.-Pierre decided to retire, and that opened the opportunity to fight for the belt. These are two terrific fighters who are in the prime of their careers, and the match Saturday has a chance to contend for fight of the year. Both guys will be ready, but in the end, this is the match that Lawler has prepared for. In the end, that will be the determining factor as LAWLER gets the win.

Lawler has 24 victories in his career, with 19 of them coming by way of knockout. He also has four wins by decision and one submission. These two fighters are very close when it comes to landing significant strikes (3.61 for Hendricks, 3.39 for Lawler), and they are both looking to end the fight with one punch. A huge advantage for the 32-year-old from Illinois in this matchup will be his reach, as he will have a five-inch reach on Hendricks. In a fight that is likely to become very physical with striking, Lawler’s ability to keep Hendricks at bay will be a huge determining factor in this fight. Hendricks outhit Lawler 158-150 in the first fight, but it was his two takedowns that proved to be the difference in the fight. If he is able to keep Hendricks away from him, he will be in great shape to get the victory.

"Bigg Rigg" Hendricks, a 31-year-old from Oklahoma, has 16 victories in his career, with eight of them coming by knockout. He also has seven wins by decision and one win by submission. For Hendricks, the plan is simple, taking Lawler to the mat. Those two takedowns in the first fight very easily could have been the difference in the judge’s eye, so any opportunity to get points on a takedown between two even fighters will be huge. He has a takedown average of 4.25, compared to only 1.07 by Lawler. While Lawler is more accurate with his takedowns (68% takedown rate for Lawler, compared to 47% for Hendricks), it is Hendricks who will be looking to take this fight to the mat. Hendricks has been off since the fight against Lawler, which could also be a factor in this match. If he is able to avoid being rusty and comes out ready to go, he has a great chance to get the win.


FoxSheets.com
The FoxSheets - the most advanced sports handicapping information available on the internet.
Sign up for professional sports betting information including fantastic trends, and Free FoxSheets.
E-mail: