Welterweight heaven at UFC 194: Lawler vs. Condit + Hendricks vs. Woodley
UFC welterweight champ Robbie Lawler vs. Carlos Condit is being targeted for UFC 194 on December 5 in Calgary, AB. Johny Hendricks vs. Tyron Woodley will also fight.
The UFC 189 champion Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald main event was one of the best fights in MMA history. It was so great that before the blood had even dried, the hardcore fanbase wanted to know who Lawler was fighting next.
Now we apparently have our answer, and it will be at UFC 194. Via B/R’s Jeremy Botter, who deserves a damn raise.
A welterweight title fight between Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit is being targeted to headline a December 5 UFC pay-per-view event in Calgary.
Our sources also indicated that a top contender’s bout between former champion Johny Hendricks and Tyron Woodley is being planned for the same event in case of a Lawler or Condit injury.
The news comes as a bit of a surprise; many expected Lawler to defend his championship against Hendricks. The pair has already fought twice, with each scoring a close victory. Hendricks has been vocal about wanting the next title shot, and it seemed a lock that he would be the man to face Lawler next.
But the UFC has opted to go in a different direction with Condit.
UFC President Dana White has promised a “make up” card for Calgary ever since the less-than-stellar UFC 149 failed to deliver in 2012.
I owe Calgary, I owe them, White told Daniel Austin of the Toronto Sun in 2014. I owe Calgary and will pay them back. We’ve delivered to Toronto, man, we’ve brought big events there. I mean, Jon Jones and Gustafsson fought in Toronto, but I owe Calgary one.
With this fight, White has kept his promise.
Given the frequency of injuries in our sport, putting a title fight and #1 contender bout on the same card is an excellent choice. In the case of an accident, the show can still go on. And the next title fight gets immediate marketing.