Dana White: If I Was Johny Hendricks, I Wouldn’t Want To Be Fighting Robbie Lawler Coming Off A Big Layoff

After edging out a game Matt Brown in the main event of Saturday’s (July 26, 2014) UFC on FOX 12 from the SAP Center in San Jose, California, No. 1-ranked UFC welterweight Robbie Lawler earned another shot at champion Johny Hendricks once “Bigg Rigg” returns from surgery on a torn biceps he suffered in his first match-up with Ruthless at UFC 171.

“The Immortal” gave Lawler everything he could handle, but in the end, the longtime veteran put on another unbelievable show to win his fifth bout in six fights since returning to the Octagon in February 2013. Lawler has been fighting nonstop since that he starched Josh Koscheck that day, and now he’s poised to make an assault on the title.

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UFC President Dana White spoke up to UFC on FOX after the fight to sing Lawler’s praises, noting that the American Top Team slugger is going to have some time off after maintaining an intense schedule throughout 2014:

“The thing is, Robbie Lawler has been an absolute stud for us; stepped up and kept taking fights, this is his third fight in four months or something like that. Now he’s going to have some time off, time to relax, time to focus and just think about Johny Hendricks. If I was Johny Hendricks, I wouldn’t want to be fighting Robbie Lawler coming off a big layoff.”

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Ariel Helwani asked White just when the awaited Hendricks vs. Lawler would take place, stressing that “Bigg Rigg” is tentatively set to return in early 2015:

“When will that fight happen? Yeah, that sounds about right.”

We’ll have to wait and see when the fight actually does go down, but one thing is certain: it’s going to be one of the most anticipated bouts of the young year.

Their back-and-forth battle at March 15’s UFC 171 in Dallas is considered one of the best fights of this year, and their rematch certainly has a ton of backstory and buildup right now.

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However, with “Bigg Rigg: coming off of debilitating surgery and Lawler undoubtedly at the absolute peak of his skillset, will it play out similar to the first fight?