UFC welterweight title shot on line in Robbie Lawler-Matt Brown clash

Robbie Lawler will either land another crack at Ultimate Fighting Championship
welterweight champion Johny Hendricks, or surging Matt Brown will get a title
shot later this year.

Hendricks, recovering from an arm injury, told reporters this week he has resumed training.

While Hendricks’ next foe is unknown, it is considered a near certainty that Lawler and Brown’s bout Saturday night on Fox will be a crowd-pleasing brawl.

The card at SAP Center in San Jose also includes a light-heavyweight bout between Anthony Johnson (17-4) and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (21-5), and a 145-pound bout between Clay Guida and Dennis Bermudez.

Lawler (23-10) is the top welterweight contender after taking Hendricks the distance in Dallas in March and winning four of five fights since returning to UFC after a decorated stint in Strikeforce.

Most recently, Lawler in May scored a third-round knockout of Jake Ellenberger with
a knee strike to the head, and he’s less than a year removed from beating Canadian Rory McDonald by split decision.

The veteran lands 4.03 significant strikes per minute, fifth-best in his division, and his 150 total against Hendricks rank as the third most in any UFC title fight. Lawler
also ranks fifth among welterweights in fewest time controlled on the ground.

Ohio’s Brown (21-11), meanwhile, has won seven consecutive fights and is the UFC’s fifth-ranked contender. His strikes-landed-per-minute rate of 4.13 is better than Lawler’s.

Brown, 33, boasts 59% success in strikes and his nine knockouts (five consecutive)
are the most in welterweight history.

The main card will begin at 5 p.m. Pacific time on Fox.