Who will replace Tyron Woodley and face Robbie Lawler at UFC Fight Night in Minneapolis?

Steven Muehlhausen

Who will replace Tyron Woodley and face Robbie Lawler at UFC Fight Night in Minneapolis? image

It was announced that former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley had to withdraw from his rematch with Robbie Lawler on June 29 in Minneapolis due to a hand injury. ESPN.com was the first to report the story.

Woodley (19-4-1), who knocked out Lawler in the first round at UFC 201 in July 2016 to become the champion, was looking to get back on track after losing the title to Kamaru Usman at UFC 235. 

At this time, the UFC is looking for a replacement for Lawler (28-13), as he looked to rebound from a controversial first-round submission loss to Ben Askren at the aforementioned UFC 235. UFC president Dana White wanted to run it back between the two immediately but opted to pit Askren with Jorge Masvidal at UFC 239 and Lawler with Woodley.

Since the announcement, fighters across the welterweight division have thrown their hat into the ring to battle the "Ruthless" one. 

Former welterweight title challenger Darren Till instantly took to Twitter to challenge Lawler, but it came with a catch.

 

Then fellow contender Santiago Ponzinibbio talked to MMAFighting.com reporter Guilherme Cruz and proceeded to follow in Till's footsteps.

 

 

 

Looking at it closely, there aren't a ton of options available for Lawler, but they're a couple out there.

Let's take Till right out of the equation. Losing back-to-back stoppages to Woodley and Masvidal puts the Englishman at the back of the pack. 

You could legitimately make a case for the winner of Saturday's main event at UFC Rochester between Rafael dos Anjos and Kevin Lee. dos Anjos (28-11) beat Lawler by unanimous decision at UFC Winnipeg in December 2017. If dos Anjos gets by Lee that would be one loss Lawler would want to avenge. 

A Lee (17-4) win would be enticing considering a victory over dos Anjos is a real litmus test for any fighter. It would also show "The Motown Phenom" is a legit contender even though it's his first bout at 170 pounds. Add to the fact that Lee it would be a new opponent for Lawler since he already fought Woodley and dos Anjos.

The most intriguing and arguably the best option of them all is Ponzinbbio. The 32-year-old is on one of the best runs not only in the division but in the entire UFC. After struggling out of the gates by going 2-2, the Argentinian has been on a tear, winning seven consecutive fights with four of them coming by stoppage. What could hold Ponzinbbio back is the fact he turned the opportunity to face Till in March before it went to Masvidal. 

Unless Lee or dos Anjos come out unscathed or win quickly, this chance should go to Ponzinbbio. Declining to face someone shouldn't preclude fighters from getting opportunities they deserve.  ​

Steven Muehlhausen

Steven Muehlhausen Photo

Steven Muehlhausen is a contributing writer for DAZN News. He writes features and news stories, and provides analysis relating to the world of boxing. Over the past five years, he has interviewed some of the biggest names in combat sports, including Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, Terence Crawford, Vasiliy Lomachenko and Bill Goldberg.