Lawler

By FCF Staff

Immediately after Robbie Lawler’s bout last night with Ben Askren was stopped, he protested the stoppage, and at the post-fight press conference “Ruthless”offered his take on the controversial finish.

Early on into the UFC 235 bout, Lawler battered Askren with punches, after the latter’s initial takedown attempt was reversed. But, the former Bellator and ONE champ recovered, and he proceeded to take Lawler down. As the welterweight attempted to scramble out, Askren started working on a bulldog choke.

Lawler never tapped out, but after a couple of moments, referee Herb Dean checked the former champ and thought he was out. Lawler immediately jumped up after the fight was stopped and began protesting Dean’s decision.

Following the card, Lawler had this to say about the fight’s final moments (quotes via MMA Fighting):

“I wasn’t choking because I was actually thinking I could just pick him up and slam him,” Lawler said. “But he was squeezing so damn hard it was like, just let him burn out his arms. At least that’s what it felt like to me, I don’t know how it looked on TV, but it felt like he was just wasting energy squeezing me when I wasn’t gonna choke so I just sat there and I guess I should have done the thumbs up a little earlier or something.”

“You know I don’t make excuses,” Lawler said. “I just kind of roll with the punches and try to be positive about the whole situation. I’d like to run it back. It is what it is. I just don’t like making excuses even if sh-t doesn’t — if stuff like that happens, whatever.”

During Askren’s post-fight presser appearance, the decorated wrestler claimed Lawler went limp from the choke.