Robbie 'Ruthless' Lawler 'For sure' Open to Boxing Jake Paul | Interview

UFC and MMA legend “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler is coming off of a UFC 266 TKO victory over Nick Diaz, & is now gearing up for a UFC 276 bout with Bryan Barberena on July 2. Before mixing it up, Lawler sat down with Bloody Elbow to discuss the origins of his nickname, an openness to superfights/novelty bouts, eating for performance for the past 20+ years, & nostalgia for the days of fight shorts plastered with an assortment of sponsorship patches.

Q1: Your violent fighting style really is “Ruthless,” so where did you get your nickname from?

Q2: Everyone deals with a certain level of stress, or fear, going into a fight. Since, you’ve put in so much time over the years, would you say the nerves are the same as when you first started, or have they changed in any way?

Q3: Over the course of a 20+ year career, you’re developed a reputation for always showing up in shape and ready to bang. How have you remained so disciplined for so long?

Q4: You have been competing for pretty much your entire adult life. Has there ever been a time when you haven’t had to be on your diet?

Q5: The last time we talked you told me about how you were doing the Kill Cliffs, and how part of your supplement routine was adding in the CBD. Would you say that’s also one of the ways you stay away from the sugar, which can be really detrimental to weight cuts?

Q6: So you’re gearing up for UFC 276 on July 2, 2022 to face Bryan Barberena. I remember you telling me how your rematch with Nick Diaz really had you fired up, and now you’re fighting Barberena, who is solid and all — but do you feel like you’ve had to find some extra motivation to get up for this one?

Q7: How many more fights do you have left on your contract?

Q8: Everyone says that MMA is a young man’s game, but time and time again we keep seeing veterans rise to the top. How long do you think you can actively continue to fight at this level?

Q9: You have definitely paid your dues, and then some. Can you see yourself ever doing a novelty fight after your UFC career? Like a boxing match or grappling event?

Q10: Before you call it a career, would you want a superfight with anyone? Maybe something that isn’t just a regular fight, like a Conor McGregor, or perhaps someone in a different weight class?

Q11: I think Dana White recently said that Nate Diaz should go ahead and just box Jake Paul, even though he’s still under UFC contract. Would you be open to something along those lines?

Q12: I have this idea that the UFC should do away with the win bonus, double the show money, and then replace the performance bonuses with finish bonuses — keeping Fight of the Night of course — Do you think that would promote more finishes and prevent guys from playing it safe?

Q13: I definitely respect that, but it would be nice if everyone had the same sort of style as Robbie Lawler. I will say that.

Q14: That reminds me of one of your protégés, Logan Storley, who stuck to his guns and just captured Bellator’s interim welterweight title. He did what you just said by not doing anything other than playing his game and getting the win — and it paid off for him.

Q15: Are you really enjoying coaching, and do you pretty much see yourself doing it forever?

Q16; Who are some of your sponsors that you’d like to give a shout out to?

Q17: Do you ever miss the days of the fight shorts covered in the sponsorship logos, or do you prefer the uniforms?

Q18: Do you think we’ll ever get back to that, or are uniforms here to stay?

You can follow Eddie on twitter — @TheEddieMercado and you can find us @BloodyElbow. Check out Robbie Lawler’s official twitter while you’re there — @Ruthless_RL. For more on 'Ruthless' be sure to check out his insta: ruthless_rl.

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