LAS VEGAS -- It was sold as a hardcore dream fight. No need for phony hype. Two of mixed martial arts' nastiest, most fearless fighters, coming from two of the sport's best camps, getting ready to throw down for 25 minutes with the UFC welterweight title up for grabs.
While this often seems the setup for a letdown, this time the matchup lived up to advance billing.
Just two days into 2016, Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit delivered a thrilling, Fight of the Year candidate of a battle at UFC 195. After 25 minutes of some of the most intense action you'll ever see, Lawler did just enough to earn two out of three 48-47 scorecards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, taking the split decision and keeping his championship.
Judges Derek Cleary and Chris Lee gave Lawler rounds two, three, and five. Judge Tony Weeks gave Condit rounds one, three, and four.
"There were two winners tonight," Lawler (27-10, 1 NC) gushed. "Let's do this again."
More Coverage: UFC 195 Results | UFC news
Vote MMA Fighting for Best Media Source
Condit (30-9), the former WEC and interim UFC welterweight champ, got off to a solid start in the opening round, as he used his reach advantage to stalk Lawler and land a variety of strikes.
Lawler is known for his gigantic left hands, but it was a right handed bomb in the second which got him back into the fight, and he drilled an advancing Condit on the chin and scored a knockdown. Lawler went on to punish Condit in his most clear-cut round of the fight.
How you scored the third round likely determined who you considered the winner. Lawler unquestionably landed the heaviest shots of the round, but Condit's volume, a vast array of kicks, punches and elbows, kept Lawler on the defensive for much of the round.
Condit rebounded in the fourth, had Lawler rocked and tiring with his back against the cage late in the round, but wasn't able to finish off his opponent.
Then came the fifth round, which just might have been the most electrifying fifth round in the history of the sport. Lawler, as has been his wont throughout his most recent run, found another wind in the fifth round and turned up the volume. He wobbled Condit on several occasions with shots which likely would have finished nearly anyone else. Condit regained his senses and began firing back. The bout finished in a wild frenzy of strikes right up until the final horn.
With an instant Fight of the Year candidate complete, the two combatants raised one anther's arms in the middle of the Octagon as they received the standing ovation they deserved.
"He's been doing this a long time," Lawler said after his second successful title defense. "Hat's off to a champion, Carlos Condit. He's everything they said he was. He's tough as hell, he's technical as hell, and it was an amazing fight."
Condit, for his part, thought he did enough to win the fight, but still tipped his hat to his worthy foe.
"I felt like I had three rounds in my pocket," Condit (30-9) said. "That's why they say never leave it to the judges. To fight an absolute warrior like robbie lawler, I'm blessed to do what I do for a living."