Bryan Barberena has quickly become a must-see television program after another exciting win at UFC 276..
This time Barberena went to war with former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler in a back-and-forth battle that saw both men staggered during the fight. Barberena landed a devastating punch just as Lawler seemed to be landing more strikes.
As soon as the shot connected, Lawler was put on wobbly legs with Barberena surging forward, throwing inside elbows and a barrage of punches that forced referee Mark Smith to stop the contest at 4:47 in the second round.
“It’s everything I dreamed of and more,” Barberena said afterwards. “He can hit damn hard. He’s an absolute legend and it’s an absolutely honor to be in here and fight him.”
It didn’t take Barberena or Lawler long to get into the act of dropping bombs with the welterweights. Barberena was very active with his hands but Lawler’s power was the ultimate equalizer as he uncorked a beautiful uppercut that landed flush.
Barberena didn’t seem to slow down, he was still throwing punches at a lot of people, hitting the body repeatedly, then the head again, with his left hand always connecting to target. In return, Lawler was putting pressure on Barberena with non-stop aggression while also unleashing some serious heavy leather with every shot thrown.
As the second round to underway, Lawler established a nasty right jab that was popping Barberena in the mush and forcing him to take a backwards step. While Barberena was still firing back, his face was getting chewed up but he would not back down from the wild exchanges.
That’s when Barberena blasted Lawler with the punch that rocked the welterweight legend and “Bam Bam” never took his foot on the gas until he got the finish. The offense from Barberena was relentless but particularly in the finishing sequence as he seized on the opening and put Lawler away.
Barberena has now won three in a row including back-to-back victories over Lawler and Matt Brown as he continues to stake his claim as one of the most exciting fighters in the sport.
