Covington dominates Lawler at UFC Newark
Colby Covington's relentless pressure earned him a unanimous decision victory over Robbie Lawler in Saturday's main event at UFC Newark.
Two judges scored the bout 50-45 and the third 50-44, giving Covington the win in his first fight since beating Rafael dos Anjos in June 2018.
Dominant. @ColbyCovMMA #UFCNewark pic.twitter.com/pXuoZ9ubtx
— UFC (@ufc) August 3, 2019
Covington pushed the pace in the opening rounds, mixing takedowns, clinches, and strikes. He had no problem taking Lawler down numerous times.
Both welterweights stood and exchanged punches in the later rounds, with Covington outworking Lawler. Although Lawler was able to absorb Covington's strikes, he failed to land anything to relieve the constant pressure.
Through the five rounds, Covington attempted 533 strikes - the most in one fight in UFC history, according to ESPN Stats & Info's Andrew Davis
Covington, who improves to 15-1 after the bout, received a prefight message of encouragement from President Donald Trump.
Fight hard tonight Colby. You are a real Champ! #MAGA https://t.co/dj3JlWQu7i
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 3, 2019
Covington held the interim UFC welterweight championship last year but was stripped of the belt due to inactivity. He's now up for a title shot against UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
The loss marks Lawler's third straight after he was beaten by dos Anjos in 2017 and Ben Askren in March. His record drops to 28-14 (one no-contest).