“Ruthless” Robbie Lawler is headed to the UFC Hall of Fame.
During Saturday’s UFC 313 broadcast in Las Vegas, promotion officials announced that Lawler, a former welterweight champion in the company who retired two years ago, would be part of the Hall’s Class of 2025. Lawler is headed into the Modern Wing.
The honor is technically Lawler’s second induction into the UFC Hall of Fame. He’s already part of the Fight Wing, thanks to his 2015 classic against Rory MacDonald. Now, he’s being honored for his individual career as well.
Lawler first stepped inside the UFC octagon in 2002 at UFC 37. He won his first three fights with the promotion before going on a 1-3 slump that saw him ply his trade elsewhere. After exiting the company, Lawler spent time in PRIDE and EliteXC (winning gold in the latter) before joining Strikeforce, then returning home to the UFC in 2013 after their acquisition of the rival promotion.
On his second run with the company, Lawler fought in his classic with Rory MacDonald (actually the pair’s second meeting) after defeating Johnny Hendricks to claim welterweight gold at UFC 181. Lawler defended his title twice before losing it to Tyron Woodley in 2016. He wrapped up his fighting career in 2023 off a knockout of Niko Price at UFC 290.
“Robbie Lawler is one of the most badass athletes to every step inside the Octagon,” said UFC President & CEO Dana White in a press release issued in conjunction with Saturday’s announcement. “Robbie was an absolute killer, and I have a ton of respect for his toughness and his fighting style, which helped grow the sport of MMA and UFC by attracting a lot of new fans. Robbie had an amazing career, and it will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.”
