Robbie Lawler went out with a memorable finish at UFC 290, as the former champion delivered a knockout in his retirement bout. Lawler finished Niko Price in the first round of the prelim main event live on ABC and ESPN.
UFC 290: Robbie Lawler Delivers In His Retirement Bout
Competing for the final time, Robbie Lawler added one more incredible finish to his storied career.
The former champion knocked out Niko Price in the first round at UFC 290 Saturday night in his retirement bout. The fight served as the prelim main event, airing live on ABC and ESPN.
Coming into the night, Lawler had lost four of his last five fights. But all of that was forgotten when “Ruthless” connected just moments into the opening round.
For Lawler, this marked the 30th win of his career, which started all the way back in 2011 with a first round finish of John Reed. From there, he would become UFC welterweight champion and one of the more well known fighters on the planet.
The veteran simply walked away as the referee called for the end of the fight, much to the delight of the fans packed inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
“It was a hard training camp,” Lawler said. “(Saturday) was the first day I felt good. My feet were moving really good (and) I’m like I’m going to do something pretty good and just happened to land some big bombs.”
Lawler said it was “nice to end my career like this.”
“It’s amazing,” he added. “I’ve had a long career. I’ve had a lot of people help me get to where I am today and without them none of this was possible. I’m grateful.”
