Robbie Lawler vs. Bryan Barberena: UFC 276 Odds, Prediction
Originally scheduled as part of Saturday’s prelim card, this matchup has been elevated to the UFC 276 main card in the wake of the cancellation of UFC women’s bantamweight matchup between Miesha Tate and Lauren Murphy.
Robbie Lawler’s recent struggles with inconsistency have not dampened his position on the UFC 276 odds, where he is pegged as -125 favourite to win going into Saturday night’s matchup at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Fresh off a split decision win over UFC legend Matt Brown just three months ago, Bryan Barberena returns to action as a narrow -105 underdog.
Robbie Lawler UFC 276 Odds
It has been a dramatic fall from grace for Lawler. The former welterweight champ has posted just two wins in his last seven fights. That stretch started with a stunning first-round knockout loss to Tyron Woodley at UFC 201 that ended his reign as UFC welterweight champion. In addition to Woodley, “Ruthless” has also dropped unanimous decisions to Rafael dos Anjos, Colby Covington, and Neil Magny. He also suffered a first-round submission loss to Ben Askren.
Once one of the most feared strikers in the welterweight division, Lawler has seen 21 of his 29 career victories come by KO or TKO. However, the 40-year-old has failed to finish an opponent on punches since defending the UFC welterweight crown with a fifth-round TKO win over Rory MacDonald almost seven years ago at UFC 189.
Indeed, Lawler is one of the all-time leaders in significant strikes landed and successful takedowns. However, apart from his victory over Nick Diaz, who had not seen action in the Octagon in the six years preceding their tilt last fall at UFC 266, Ruthless has been consistently overmatched since losing the belt. That was particularly evident in his losses to Covington and Magny. One of the few upsides in those fights was his continued ability to absorb punches.
Bryan Barberena UFC 276 Odds
Barberena has also struggled to produce consistent results since first breaking into the UFC back in 2014. “Bam Bam” has compiled a middling 8-6-0 in 14 Octagon appearances. And while he currently rides a two-fight win streak, he has failed to win three in a row since joining the promotion. However, opportunity could be knocking with this weekend’s clash versus Lawler.
Originally scheduled to face Brown last December at UFC Vegas 44, the wait turned out to be worthwhile for Bam Bam, who used a clear edge in striking to eke out a split decision win over the man who has tallied the most finishes in UFC welterweight history.
However, avoiding trouble on the mat remains a major challenge for Barberena. The 33-year-old has been taken down a total of 22 times over his past four fights. Opponents have almost 20 minutes of total control time during that stretch.
UFC 276 Prediction: Robbie Lawler vs. Bryan Barberena
Fight fans expecting to see vintage Lawler in this weekend’s clash are likely to be disappointed. With his best days behind him, the former champ has struggled to keep pace with younger opponents. That said, Barberena is not in the same class as Lawler’s recent opponents, but is worthy of a value bet to take Ruthless one step closer to retirement.
Prediction: Bryan Barberena by Points or Technical Decision (+185)
