Robbie Lawler peaked when he obliterated rival’s nose in legendary Hall of Fame UFC war

Robbie Lawler vs Rory MacDonald revisited

Lawler and MacDonald first met as welterweight contenders in 2013.

On that occasion, Lawler edged out a three-round split decision win at UFC 167.

Two years later, he was the UFC welterweight champion and MacDonald was the undeniable number one contender at 170lbs after three consecutive victories.

Lawler vs MacDonald 2 got off to a slow start before bursting into life during the second round, when the champion badly wobbled his opponent with a massive left hand.

‘The Red King’ bounced back in the third frame where he shook Lawler with a head kick before unleashing a flurry of follow-up shots to try to finish the fight.

By round four, Lawler and MacDonald were a bloody mess. After that five-minute frame was up, the welterweight duo stood across from each other and refused to back up during one of the most epic moments in UFC history.

Lawler had part of his lip missing, and MacDonald’s was barely recognizable due to the catastrophic injuries to his face – but they still had to be dragged back to their corners.

In the end, MacDonald simply couldn’t take any more damage. The Canadian fan favorite fell to the floor in round five and the 2015 Fight of the Year was waved off in Lawler’s favor.

Robbie Lawler reacts to UFC Hall of Fame induction

Lawler was not entirely surprised by his Hall of Fame announcement during UFC 313.

Still, he got emotional while listening to UFC boss Dana White and his ex-opponents paying homage to him in a special video made to celebrate his career.

“I had a feel for it. I just did,” Lawler said on Saturday night.

“I didn’t tell anybody I had a feel for it. I let my wife know. And then when I was sitting where I was sitting, I was [suspecting it]. But still, when it happens, you’re like, ‘Oh, this is actually happening’.”

“It was going pretty good, but then once all those fighters and Dana were saying those nice things about me, I got a little choked up.

“I’m definitely honored – amazing accomplishment. A lot of hard work was put into it, not just me, but trainers, training partners, management team.

“Probably the best part of it is all those kind words from all those fighters and my peers and guys who are coming up now, seeing what I put into the sport and how I fought. It definitely makes me feel good.”