Daniel Cormier praises Robbie Lawler’s UFC 290 retirement win: “It never happens!”

By Josh Evanoff - July 13, 2023

UFC commentator Daniel Cormier is still in awe of Robbie Lawler.

Daniel Cormier and Robbie Lawler

‘Ruthless’ returned to the octagon at UFC 290 over the weekend against Niko Price. Ahead of the contest, the former welterweight champion announced the fight will be his last. Entering the bout, Robbie Lawler was a massive betting underdog, as many favored the younger fighter to win.

Instead, it was a fairytale ending for the former champion in Sin City. At UFC 290, Robbie Lawler scored a first-round knockout win over ‘The Hybrid’, his first, first-round knockout win since a stoppage victory over Josh Koscheck a decade ago. Following the fight, he kept his word, announcing his retirement.

Many fans were shocked by Robbie Lawler’s win, but none more than Daniel Cormier. The UFC commentator discussed the upset victory during a recent edition of the DC & RC podcast. There, Daniel Cormier praised the former champion for defying the odds and going out on a win.

Furthermore, the commentator also implored Robbie Lawler to stay in retirement. While Daniel Cormier knows how good one feels after a knockout win, he hopes the former champion goes out on a victory and doesn’t return.

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Robbie Lawler, UFC 290, Results, UFC

“It never happens,” Daniel Cormier remarked about Robbie Lawler winning his retirement fight. “Think back to all the great champions, except Floyd Mayweather. Nobody, nobody gets that, we all lose. It’s just a matter of how you lose. Do you get knocked out? Or do you just get beat? Robbie Lawler got a fairytale ending.”

He continued, “One of the biggest issues with the way it ended for Robbie is, people generally want to go back. They’re like ‘Man I got much more left than I believed’, no. It’s perfect. You’re Snow White, you’re Cinderella, you got Prince Charming. Watching that man inside the octagon looking up at the career and his lip kind of quivering, we were all teared up.”

“None of us were dry-eyed in the T-Mobile Arena because Robbie Lawler has been such a picture of controlled violence. Such a picture of intensity, to let him see you let you behind the wall a little bit was something special.”

What do you make of these comments from Daniel Cormier? Do you want to see Robbie Lawler fight again?


Topics:

Daniel Cormier Robbie Lawler UFC