MMA Fighting - Robbie Lawler: 'Nick Diaz Is a Name That Got Me To Put Stuff Down, Get In There and Focus'

Episode Date: September 17, 2021

Robbie Lawler prepares to face Nick Diaz in a rematch 17 years in the making at UFC 266. "Ruthless" discusses the matchup, how the former #UFC welterweight champion reacted to the booking, what he remembers from their first meeting at UFC 46, how the first generation of MMA fighters are remembered, what he needs to continue fighting moving forward, the oblique kick debate, his partnership with Kill Cliff, and much more with MMA Fighting's Mike Heck. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Subscribe: http://goo.gl/dYpsgH Check out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/u8VvLi Visit our playlists: http://goo.gl/eFhsvM Like MMAF on Facebook: http://goo.gl/uhdg7Z Follow on Twitter: http://goo.gl/nOATUI Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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The Downloaded 2. Ghosts in the Machine. Available now, only from Audible. All right, let us say hello to the former UFC Welterweight Champion of the world. who over 17 years removed will have the opportunity to get one back against Nick Diaz. He will get that chance September 25th at UFC 266 in a five-rounder. Wow, it is finally happening. Robbie Lawler joins us. How are you, sir? I'm good. How are you doing? I'm doing great. It's great to have you here. And we're a little over two weeks away from this one, 16 days away from something that people have been talking about for 17 years. Is this the kind of fight, the story you two guys

have the length of time between the two meetings. Is it a little strange to think about? Yeah, because it happens so long ago. Our skills have evolved so much since that time. But obviously, the fans are excited. This is a fight that he's a big name, so I've been training hard. I know when you, you know, just from talking to fighters, especially longtime veterans, all the fights sort of blend together in a way, like it all feels the same.

in regards to the build to it. This fight, I'm curious if you feel like this is just another fight or if this one actually feels a little bit different? It feels a little different. I mean, to the extent of I'm doing extra. When I mean extra, it's like I'm able, at this age,

like it takes a lot for me to like take a fight. I'm just kind of not going to fight anybody just because it's taking time away from my family. And like you kind of have to be selfish and spend a lot of time on yourself and training. So he's definitely a guy in a name that's getting me up and into the gym every day. I'm sure you've been asked about Nick a million times throughout your career. I'm sure you've had to address it at several different points. Did you think it would ever happen?

Like if I said five years ago, Rob, you're going to fight Nick Diaz again at some. point. Like, would you have taken me seriously at all? No. Yeah, it's been 17 years since that. I thought maybe a couple years after that or even five years after that fight, maybe, but definitely not this stage. And, yeah, it's been a while since anyone's even brought his name up as far as potential fighters. Had you, like, completely moved on from that first fight?

I mean, it was so long ago, but it's something that always gets talking. about. Like, is this a fight that was sort of a bucket list fight for you? Is it one that you always, even if it was a 1% chance that you would always hope you'd get the opportunity to get back? No, I'm not too worried about those types of things. I'm all about like getting better. So like that fight, I learned a lot from that fight, cleaned up my game a lot and just try to continue to evolve and try to make myself better and didn't dwell in the past and wasn't out to prove something. I just,

it made me a better fighter. So it's part of my growth. When you sort of like go through the vault of your career, is there anything that like that you remember from that fight? I mean, the result obviously not what you. I mean, fighters always say like you remember your great losses a lot more than your great wins.

And this is kind of one of those fights that people talked about for a while. Like do you remember much about UFC 47 or is that just so far back? Like we don't, it's nothing that really is memorable about that. Yeah, no, I remember bits and pieces about that, but I mean, the weight cut and just like the way ends and how I felt and just wasn't my day. And it was, how can I tighten up my skills after the fight and no excuses type of situation? Just have to look at yourself and see how you can grow. You mentioned that at this point in your life and your career, it's going to take something,

big and interesting to get you out and get you away from the family and put pen to paper. Had there been other things offered to you that just didn't wet your whistle, so to speak, or is this the first time you're like, okay, let's go? I don't know. I don't really. My manager brings stuff to me and who knows what kind of conversations they've had with the UFC and whatnot. He does, I don't get to hear every little detail on everything.

So I think this was something he brought to the table. I was interested. There you go. How do you feel about it being a five-round, non-main event, non-title fight? Because there's only been one other one in UFC history, and you guys are number two. That says a lot about how everyone views this fight,

including the UFC, does it not? Yeah, I think a lot of fans are excited about this fight. The UFC's excited about this fight. It's going to be a good event. Obviously, he's a big name. He likes to go long distance. He's in shape. I've gone 25 minutes before and it's not new to me, so I'll be ready to go.

One of the reasons I'm glad I got the chance to talk to you is kind of switching gears for a minute. People, when they bring you up, they talk about the career, the legendary battles, the Condit fight, the Rory fights, even at this point, like, you know, the last four fights of your career, but not a lot of people talk about the impact that you've had on teammates and fighters over at Sanford, M.A. because I spoke with Logan Storley a couple weeks ago before his last fight, and he put you over big, man, like, how helpful that you've been to him and just like how much of an influence you've been on his career? Like, how much has that sort of helped you personally being able to pass on your wisdom, your experiences to this next crop, this next generation of fighters? Yeah, I think that's just something that fighters should do.

Somebody guys have done that to me in the past and in all sports in general. It's about giving back to a sport that's given so much to me and just continue to help it grow and just giving back to the fighters so that make their lives easier so that they can learn the little details so that they can prosper and have a good time out there. Do you see a lot of yourself in Logan? Because I feel like there's some similarities between the two of you guys. Because you see the growth of him, like especially like mentally over the last like two or three years. oftentimes he'd get a little angry, a little hot-headed, but now he seems to be like a little more relaxed. It's about getting better and taking those experiences and improving upon them.

Do you see a little bit of yourself in him? Yeah, I mean, he's definitely getting better. He's evolving. And then that's how you get last in the sport. You have to continue to evolve, continue to grow as a fighter and as a person that will keep you going. Obviously, he's a hell of a competitor. and he's a hell of a wrestler.

So it's just fine-tuning all those other skills and making sure he can implement a whole arsenal of skills. You're a guy that's been there through so many different phases of the sport, the UFC, from almost the beginning of this whole thing. You've been through the ups, the downs. You've been involved from when people viewed the sport in a negative light all the way to where around now. The UFC is on ESPN now, network TV, stars, et cetera.

are you happy with where the sport has gone where it's going? Like, is this what you envisioned 10, 15 years ago that it would be this big and this mainstream? I knew the sport was growing, but I didn't necessarily think the sport would be this big. I just, when I first started fighting the UFC fighters weren't making great money. So obviously, Pays getting better. fighters are doing well, their sponsorships involved. And yeah, the sports definitely grow, but obviously Lorenzo and Dana did a great job of building this sport.

And now the sports just exploded. And hopefully these fighters can benefit from all the hard work, all the veterans, even way before me put in to get the sport where it is today. Do you think not enough is being done to tell them? those stories from the past about the history of the sport. I feel like, I feel like a lot of that's overlooked now and overshadowed. And you, and you mentioned even before you, like, how important those guys and gals were in the sport. And I feel like, I feel like not enough attention is being brought to that. Do you, do you agree with me? I don't know, because I'm not a kind of person

who wants a lot of attention brought to me. So I don't know how other people feel about that. But obviously there's pioneers of the sport that helped this sport get to where it is today. And we're standing on the backs of all those fighters you put in the time and all the sweat and help build this. So, like, without them, there wasn't me. And without me, there wouldn't be all these great young athletes out there who are inspired to go out there and perform and put on shows. for all these. Eventually, I think people are going to start realizing how many guys, even way before me, help build this thing. And then, like, looking at the next crop, like, there's kids, like, six, seven, eight years old now. Like, like, we're out, like,

playing baseball and basketball. And now you get six, seven, eight year old kids getting in the gym and they're taking, like, they're gold meddling in tournaments at, like, 10, 11, 12 years old. Like, like, can you imagine what the sport's going to be like in 10 years, the type of athletes, the type of experiences these kids have now before they get into that professional realm. Like that's, is that crazy to think about? Yeah, this sports, there's so many aspects too. That's what's awesome about this. I mean, they're striking, there's wrestling, there's jiu-jitsu.

And you can be like super high level at one or the other. I think they're going to start seeing a lot of, what I say, guys who are well-rounded and highly skilled at a lot. lot of different aspects and it's going to be awesome to see. Well, this is a big event for you. That is going to be awesome to see. September 25th, UFC 266. You get Nick Diaz once again.

If you go out there and things go the way that you're hoping that they will go, that you're planning on them to go, do you think there's going to be a push for a third fight? Like, is that what you think happens? You go out there and win. We're going to see a third one, like right back between the two of you guys, hopefully not 17 years later? I have no idea what the push is. I'm just one fight at a time.

That's how I am going out there, going to go put in some work, do my best, and then come home and see what happens. You never know. So one fight. I mean, you're just at big fight. You're at big fight phase right now, right? Like, we're not entertaining anything else. Is that kind of where you're at right now?

Like, I know your manager kind of deals with the dealings and everything. But it seems like if it's not exciting, if it's not an intrigue, thing that gets you up doesn't seem like you're that interested. Am I reading that right? If I'm not excited about it, then like whatever. So if I'm excited and I'm willing to put in the time and get in there and grind away, I'm going to be training, but there's like a different level to training for like a big fight or whatnot as far as, and I want a time in advance, eight to eight to 10 weeks

and just putting in the time. And Nick Diaz was a name that, like, got me to put stuff down and get in there and focus. And never know. A few last things. I definitely want to talk about what is on your shirt to wrap things up, Kill Cliff in the delicious energy drinks they have. But, you know, this is something that's been kind of a point in contention over the last few days. And I wanted to see if you had a take on this because we talked about your experience in the game.

There's been a lot of talk about rules over the years. and one thing that's been discussed as of late, and I don't know if you saw this on Saturday, the oblique kick, because a lot of people are saying that it should be banned, because we saw what happened in the Cleo Roundtree fight. Mendesis Bacoscus went down. People are talking about,

oh, now you're going to tear your knee out. But then you have other people on the other end being like, these guys kick each other in the head and knock each other out. So what's really the difference? So in your eyes, is the oblique kick something that should stick around in modern MMA or should that rule be changed? I'm not sure what they're. rules even say about the oblique kick because i remember i think it was jeremy horn basically said

that that kind of strike wasn't supposed to be there was like a rule against i don't look into the rules it is what it is i just say protect yourself at all times and uh i don't know it's part of the sport so you better be ready uh are you a fan of the technique is that i mean i i don't use it because I don't think it's not something that I want to do. It's just not because I don't think it works, just because it's not something I want to spend my time on it, a little bleed kick, but obviously guys spend time on it, different techniques, but it is what it is.

Some guys like it and, I mean, protect yourself and figure out a way to block it, defense it, counter it. That's what the sport's all about. but part of the sport, I guess. Yeah. I mean, do you watch a lot of fights outside of, I mean, a lot of people could, a lot of fighters, like there are some fighters who are obsessed, they have to watch every week. And then there's other fighters that are like, when I have a fight, I'm going to train,

I'm going to fight, and then that's it. Like, I don't watch every week. I don't watch all the cards. Like, I try to separate myself from the sport. Where are you at? Like, what side of the fence are you on with that? I only watch fights that, uh, my training partners are fighting in most of the time or like a fight.

I'm excited about or like if, uh, out of Sonia, I was fighting, I'll watch you. And it's just like, it all depends. I pick and shoes. Sometimes I even forget there's fights on because I'm spending time with my son doing different things. So it's just like, it has nothing to do with fighting. It just has to do with where my head is. I'm spending time with my family doing those things. So sometimes I don't, my son wants to watch the office. So we're watching the office.

Nice. Good choice. Absolutely. I do want to talk to you about Kilcliffe. Their energy drinks, because you mentioned Israel Adasania, because you're part of the Killcliff fight team along with Adasania, Gilbert Burns, Gable Steven is one of the newest members of the team, just to name a few. How did this partnership come to be? How did Robbie Lother and Kilcliffe come together?

Well, Dave Martin obviously put this together. The gym down at Sanford, they came to the table. And first of all, it's just an amazing drink, too. I mean, it tastes awesome. A lot of vitamins. You don't get a crash from, it's like a green tea caffeine, not too much caffeine in the drink that I drink to recover

and get some vitamins and ginseng. So especially when I'm doing multiple workouts in a day, it's nice to take a sip of that throughout the training just to get ready for something. And just awesome team to be part of. what is like what what's like the go-toes for you like one of the ones that you just have to have every day like if you open the fridge and you're you're you want to kill cliff and you're out of this flavor you're just not thrilled about it like you'll you'll drink another one but what's the go-to what's the what's your favorite um i like the original orange blood uh that one's awesome and then the goat's good which is like a great flavored one so and i like the lemon lime yeah gillip burns is a goat fan as well. I remember talking about it. What flavor's missing? Because I saw Adasania kind of got his own little flavor with the Kiwi. What's what should the ruthless Robbie Lawler Kilcliffe flavor be?

I haven't even thought of it at all. You got more important. I mean, listen, someday they might come to the table. Maybe some sort of fruit punch. Yes. Some fruit punch. Yep. Go back. Yes. Go back to our childhood. We drink you string like a Koolet, like a Kool-Aid kind of flavored one. Exactly. Robbie, I appreciate the time very much. much, man. Like, I know you don't do a ton of media. You don't, you're not a big attention guy, but it means a lot that you'd give me some time ahead of this big rematch with Nick Diaz at UFC 266. Everyone's fired up about it. It seems like you're very fired up about it. So, thank you again. All the best of you, the rest of preparation and in the fight inside the

Octagon in a couple weeks time, man. Yep, thanks for having me. You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network.