Miletich, Hughes pegged high school-aged Robbie Lawler for UFC greatness

For some, Robbie Lawler’s career resurgence, which has seen him rise to the level of UFC welterweight champion, is a shocking surprise. Not to a pair of UFC Hall of Famers.

“It’s very easy for me to see Robbie as the champion right now because he’s been groomed for years to be there,” former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes said at a recent Q&A session during the UFC’s International Fight Week in Las Vegas. “For me, it’s not a surprise at all. The guy has put his dues in. He’s dropped his sweat in the gym, and he deserves it.”

The 33-year-old Lawler debuted for the UFC in 2002, when he was just 20 years old. However, after some initial success in the octagon, a 1-3 stretch saw him ushered out of the promotion for some nine years.

However, since returning to the UFC in 2013, Lawler is 7-1, including a December 2014 title victory and an epic first defense of the belt at UFC 189.

Hughes and Lawler each trained under Pat Miletich at Iowa’s famed Miletich Fighting Systems camp. In the early days of the team, Miletich was a UFC champion, and Hughes was among his top pupils. However, a teenaged Lawler was also part of the team, and Miletich remembered pegging him for greatness right from the start.

Check out the video above to hear more from Lawler’s former coach and training partner about the rise of the current UFC welterweight champion.

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