3 reasons why Robbie Lawler will defeat Carlos Condit at UFC 195

Three years ago, it would have been laughable to argue that Robbie Lawler was better than Carlos Condit. Lawler was a non-contender fighting at 185 pounds for the Strikeforce organization, while Condit was going head-to-head with Georges St-Pierre in a UFC welterweight title unification bout.

Fast forward to the first card of 2016: "GSP" is retired, Condit is once again challenging for the title, and "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler is the undisputed champion of the 170-pound division.

Given the winding road both men have taken to get to UFC 195 on Jan. 2, it's understandable that oddsmakers are non-committal on picking a favorite.

Here are three reasons to bet on the champ:

Ruthless and resilient

Anyone who watched Lawler's five-round bloodbath with Rory MacDonald at UFC 189 had to walk away with considerable doubt in their minds that Lawler is actually human.

Unless Condit can find a way to finish Lawler in the first or second round (something that hasn't happened since a 2009 submission loss to Jake Shields), he will have to deal with a whirlwind of violence for 25 minutes.

"The Natural Born Killer" might excel at forcing his opponents to play his game, but Lawler cannot be manipulated. Peck away at him, brawl with him, smash him with head kicks, and he will not stop.

If Condit manages to hurt him, it will only make Lawler smile. Then laugh. And then hit back that much harder.

The heaviest of leather

For all of Condit's craftiness, one thing has remained true in all of his fights: He can be hit.

Condit has a solid chin and the ability to expertly slip strikes, but he's been cracked before. Hendricks, Nick Diaz, and MacDonald were all able to do their fair share of damage to Condit even if they weren't able to keep him down.

If Lawler is given the same opportunity, it could be curtains for Condit. His reputation as a knockout machine is well-earned, with 20 of his 26 wins ending with his opponent wishing they'd made other plans for the evening.

Staying busy

Lawler and Condit both competed at UFC 171, a fateful night where Lawler fell just short of becoming the welterweight champion and Condit suffered a severe knee injury in a No. 1 contender's bout with Tyron Woodley. Condit didn't fight for 14 months, while Lawler put together a four-fight win streak that included him winning and defending the UFC welterweight title.

Even if you don't believe in "ring rust," there's something to be said for Lawler being battle tested over the course of the last year with wins over MacDonald, Matt Brown, and Jake Ellenberger.

Including a rematch with Hendricks, there's not a layup in that bunch. If the adage of "iron sharpens iron" holds true, then there isn't a man at 170 more dangerous than Lawler right now.

For more UFC 195 coverage, check out the keys to Condit's success.