Brown-Lawler to headline UFC on Fox 12

Published on Tuesday, 5/27/14, at 4:49 p.m. Eastern.

By Brian Edwards

It didn’t take long for Robbie Lawler to sign up for another fight. Less than 72 hours after his convincing win over Jake Ellenberger by third-round knockout Saturday night at UFC 173 in Las Vegas, Lawler has agreed to fight Matt Brown in the main event at UFC on Fox 12. This show will take place in San Jose on July 26.

UFC President Dana White tweeted out the news earlier this afternoon. The winner will get the next crack at Johny Hendricks, who won the welterweight title with a narrow decision win over Lawler earlier this year. The new champ is on the sidelines recovering from surgery to his torn bicep.

Lawler has posted a 4-1 record in his second tour of duty in the UFC. Brown is on a seven-fight winning streak with victories over Erick Silva, Jordan Mein, Mike Pyle and Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson.

Lawler will definitely be favored, but I’m not sure where the price will land. I’m going to guess that ‘Ruthless’ will open at around a -200 ‘chalk.’

In Brown’s win over Silva a few weeks ago in the headlining fight in Cincinnati, the native of Ohio won by third-round KO as a +185 underdog.

The UFC on Fox 12 co-main event will be a light heavyweight scrap between Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson and Little Nog.