In the long run, everyone pays their dues.

The main event of UFC 195 was an absolute barn burner. Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit went toe to toe for twenty five minutes in their welterweight title bout, both many dishing out and receiving punishment throughout. Both men proved exactly why so many people were anticipating this meeting and proved to be truly impressive in both victory and defeat. While Robbie Lawler may have walked away with the victory, Carlos Condit acquitted himself well and gave the champion all he could handle. With all that in mind it begs the question: how much longer can Robbie Lawler put himself through these wars? Sure, it may be entertaining for a spectator, and as a fighter you want to prove you’re the absolute top dog, specifically strikers. But Robbie Lawler has been pushing himself to the absolute max ever since his return to the UFC and almost every fight since his first bout with former champ Johnny Hendricks has been a display of ultra violence, heart, and will. On one hand it’s all be very entertaining. On the other, it makes you wonder how much punishment is Robbie Lawler taking during all this? There’s no question that Lawler is the type of fighter who’d rather go out on his shield than yield, particularly to strikes and particularly during this current stint in the UFC. But the amount of trauma he’s enduring is pretty concerning. His last two bouts alone saw the champion being seriously hurt do to strikes, though in the end he came out victorious though physically compromised. In a sport like mixed martial arts sometimes playing it a bit safe is the difference between brain damage or not. Lawler isn’t one to think I such things I’m sure, but if he intends to continue being champion in the UFC, while also keeping his mental faculties intact, then he’s going to have to adopt a gameplan that will unsure him both the victory and taking less damage. Perhaps utilizing his under rated wrestling to create clinching situations or push his fighter up against the fence to get some dirty boxing going is a great start. It may be unlikely that it will happen, but if this Lawler era is to continue in the welterweight division, the champion would be wise to consider it. Do you think Robbie Lawler’s battles will catch up to him? Let us know in the comments and forums. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron MMA on Facebook and Twitter.