Fan favorite welterweight sluggers “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler and “Platinum” Mike Perry are reportedly set to collide at UFC 255 on November 21.
News of this fan friendly matchup was first reported by Ariel Helwani of ESPN.
Mike Perry vs. Robbie Lawler is booked for UFC 255 on Nov. 21, according to multiple sources.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 24, 2020
Lawler, widely regarded as one of the most exciting fighters in MMA history, is the former UFC welterweight champion, but has recently fallen on hard times. Since losing the welterweight title to Tyron Woodley in summer, 2016, he has gone 1-4, defeating Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in his first fight after losing the belt, then coming up short to Rafael dos Anjos, Ben Askren, Colby Covington, and most recently, Neil Magny.
Perry, on the other hand, shares Lawler’s reputation for excitement. He’s been hot and cold over the last few years, but is currently riding an impressive decision win over Mickey Gall. Prior to that, he suffered back-to-back defeats to Geoff Neal and Vicente Luque, and picked up a win over Alex “Cowboy” Oliveira.
Perry will enter his fight with Lawler having recently had some trouble outside the cage. Earlier this year, the welterweight star was involved in an altercation at a Texas restaurant, and ultimately knocked out a fellow patron.
In the wake of this incident, the UFC issued a statement claiming he would not be allowed to fight again until he sought out professional help. It’s not clear whether Perry got that help ahead of this planned fight with Lawler.
“UFC is aware and troubled by the video that was released last night concerning Mike Perry,” the statement read. “The conduct displayed by Perry is no reflective of that of our organization. Perry apologized for his behavior and acknowledged he was disappointed with himself that his actions may have reflected poorly on UFC. He further acknowledged that he believes he has some issues related to alcohol abuse and has informed UFC that he has committed to immediately seek professional treatment, including substance and behavioral counseling. At this time, UFC has informed Perry that he will not be offered a bout, and the parties have agreed to evaluate next steps for Perry following the completion of his treatment program.”
Who do you think will come out on top when Robbie Lawler and Mike Perry collide at UFC 255?