LAS VEGAS – As Robbie Lawler kneeled with his hand over his face, the cheers rained down on him. In that moment, 22 years flashed before his welled-up eyes.
“I was trying to look at my career and just being grateful for this moment and everything that’s happened,” Lawler told MMA Junkie and other reporters after his successful retirement fight at UFC 290. “(I was) just being grateful and thankful for it – just gratitude is what I was embracing.”
Lawler (30-16 MMA, 15-10 UFC) went out on a high note – a rarity among MMA retirees. He knocked out Niko Price (15-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC) in 38 seconds much to the delight of the crowd at T-Mobile Arena.
Even the typically stoic and blank-faced Lawler, 41, couldn’t hold back the emotion, especially not when the UFC played a special retirement highlight package for him as he stood in the cage. It was the first time in promotion history a fighter received that sort of send-off.
“It’s an honor and a freaking pleasure to see that. The UFC and Dana (White) did a great job of honoring me. The fans did a great job of honoring me and my career and everything I’ve given to the sport. I’m happy that everyone is embracing what I’ve tried to do. I’m always trying to go out there and knock people out and fight. I always enjoyed it. It was a long, crazy career. I’ve always loved MMA, and I guess that’s why I’ve been able to do it for so long.”
While Lawler had only minutes-worth of retirement as he spoke at his news conference, he affirmed the decision to walk away was the correct one despite the prime outcome Saturday.
“What makes this retirement pretty easy for me is this was actually the first day I felt good this whole camp,” Lawler said. “But that’s what you really want, though: to figure out the way to be really good on one day – at your best. I was able to do that (Saturday).
“… Stuff doesn’t work like it used to, but obviously it does here and there. There were flashes, and you’d use those flashes to be like, ‘OK, there it is. OK, can we keep that going for the rest of the camp?’ Then it’s up and down. It’s just hard to recover. It’s hard to push yourself the way I’m pushing myself. Doing extra is hard. I can’t do extra. But now that I’m retired, I can do that extra and torture myself because I don’t have to recover for anything.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 290.
