UFC 201 being targeted for Atlanta on July 30 with Robbie Lawler vs. Tyron Woodley title bout

By Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Robbie Lawler (photo credit Joe Camporeale © USA Today)

The UFC is aiming to add a second pay-per-view event to their July schedule, and they’re targeting Robbie Lawler vs. Tyron Woodley and a return to Atlanta, Ga. on July 30, according to a report from UFC Tonight on Fox Sports 1.

The bout is not yet official, though it is currently the leading plan for UFC 201. It would be the UFC’s first event in Atlanta in over four years, with their last appearance coming at UFC 145 in April of 2012.

Lawler successfully defended the UFC Welterweight Championship in January for the second time, edging past Carlos Condit by split decision. Though Condit had a strong argument for the win, the bout set the bar high in the “Fight of the Year” conversation for 2016.

Should the fight officially come together, it means Woodley gets a title fight a year and a half after his last fight. A combination of injuries, Johny Hendricks missing weight last minute, and waiting for his shot have had the 34-year-old on the sidelines since he beat Kelvin Gastelum in January of 2015.

Penick’s Analysis: It’s the least interesting of every proposed option for Lawler’s next fight, but if the Georges St-Pierre bout wasn’t coming together and the UFC was unwilling to book the Carlos Condit rematch (or that fight’s not happening for some other reason) this is the default option. It’s a Robbie Lawler fight, so it’s well worth watching, but it’s going to be a lesser draw with Woodley as his challenger given he’ll have been off the radar entirely for 18 months by the time the fight happens.

[Photo (c) Joe Camporeale via USA Today Sports]

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