Khamzat Chimaev vs Robbie Lawler - Ruthless Aggression

Two of the most conventionally intimidating men in combat sports history go back to their roots to square off on the freestyle wrestling mat. Will Khamzat Chimaev continue his reign of terror or will Robbie Lawler show everybody that his propensity to brawl starts with a solid wrestling base.

Khamzay Chimaev and Robbie Lawler are two of the most dangerous and scary men to ever lace up the gloves. What people sometimes forget is that they were giving opponents fits on the wrestling mat long before they were the boogeymen of their era inside the cage.

Chimaev is currently on a short list of “most feared men in combat sports.” He’s got the look, the 15-1 record, the strength and the power to make him the last name title contender want slid across their desks in the UFC.

The most terrifying weapon in his arsenal, however, is his MMA wrestling.

Chimaev’s Dagestani wrestling style ties his strength and aggression together to make him a constrictor that latches on to opponents and takes turns suffocating and inflicting harm on them.

He has three Swedish National titles and two pinfall victories for RAF making him just as big of a threat on the mat as he is in the cage. His skills have seemed to translate directly at RAF and he’s a competitor that only gets stronger with every match.

It can’t be stressed enough just how intense and exciting Chimaev is but before “Borz” Lawler was the most electric man in the sport with a welterweight title, wins over some of the biggest names of all time under his belt and Fight of the Year in three straight years.

It may seem that Lawler’s striking was his strongest skillset but that’s actually not the case, it was just his favorite one.

Wrestling for Bettendorf High School, Lawler would get a late start at wrestling but his aggression, athleticism and intensity made him an immediate star on the mat finishing fourth in the state of Iowa twice, in the most competitive era in the state’s history.

Known as a star athlete on the football field, wrestling was where Lawler made a name for himself that still carries ripples to this day in The Hawkeye State. Chimaev might be the bigger, younger fighter but Lawler is a ground threat that is sure to stun all those new to the sport.

Chimaev comes in the bigger man so his path to victory isn’t a surprising one. Wrestle bigger.

Even a freak athlete like Lawler is fighting an uphill battle against Chimaev. Watch for Borz to get to the legs early and chain attacks together. He can slightly afford to make mistakes on his offense because he has the strength to survive scrambles and threatening positions.

Forcing Lawler backwards and making him carry his weight are two other ways Chimaev can wrestle bigger. Lawler isn’t familiar with fighting backwards and in a sport where either pushout points or errant takedowns may come as a result, it should be the number one plan of attack for Chimaev.

For Lawler, he will need to utilize one of the most unappreciated tangibles that he has. Stay low, force Chimaev to dive in and use the hair-trigger sprawl to convert defense into scrambles, scrambles into points.

Many fights saw Lawler thwart desperate shot attempts from opponents and force them into deep waters on the feet. He can be just as dangerous, if not more, on the freestyle mat.

Psychological warfare may come at a premium for Lawler. A lot of competitors over-respect Chimaev where as Lawler has never been an athlete who lets a reputation push him around. Becoming the first person unafraid to match Chimaev’s energy will be completely foreign.

They’re two of the most exciting men in combat sports history and they’re getting back to their roots. Expect all the fireworks that make them legends of the sport.

Do not miss Khamzat Chimaev vs “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler LIVE at RAF14 Friday, October 23 ONLY on FOX Nation!