Robbie Lawler vs. Neil Magny Preview and Odds, UFC Fight Night 175
The co-main of UFC Fight Night 175 pits top 15 welterweights Robbie Lawler (+210) and Neil Magny (-250) in direct combat.
The big question here is how much former welterweight champion ‘Ruthless’ Robbie Lawler has left. It’s hard to tell with the 38-year-old losing a recent one-sided title eliminator vs. Colby Covington after being controversially submitted by Ben Askren. Lawler stormed Askren before referee Herb Dean mistakenly thought ‘Ruthless’ passed out during a bulldog choke. Until then, it appeared Lawler would dominate the former One FC and Bellator standard bearer.
While luck may have cancelled Askren’s first paid defeat, no shame exists in losing to Covington. Every active 170 pound fighter outside Kamaru Usman is beneath ‘Chaos’ in the stacked division’s pecking order. That stated, Lawler certainly isn’t the warrior that unseated Johny Hendricks for UFC gold and defended twice. Time and injuries have affected the MMA pioneer as he hasn't tasted UFC victory since 2017.
Enter solid-but-unspectacular Neil Magny. With 22 Octagon bouts, and a two-fight winning run, Magny is the lightest fare Lawler has faced since defeating Bobby Volker in 2013. Though, behind an 80” reach and complete MMA tool box, ‘The Haitian Sensation” is legit competition. Magny boasts seven TKO’s, three submissions and 13 decision nods. Landing 3.95 strikes per minute and 2.55 takedowns per 15 minutes, the 33-year-old poses issues for shopworn Lawler.
While the former champ can still damage Magny, the favorite’s reach edge and skill set will keep him from Lawler’s potent boxing wheelhouse. Minus the threat of a ‘Ruthless’ takedown, Magny seems poised to lift another decision Saturday night after defeating Jingliang Li and Rocco Martin.
The Pick: Take Neil Magny to outwork and outland Lawler at distance when these cage veterans circle during a mostly standup engagement. UFC Fight Night 175 will prove Lawler’s 19 years of paid MMA damage have caught up as Magny wins by decision.
Odds courtesy of BestFightOdds.com