The UFC put together a welterweight title fight between Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit because they expected it to be a battle. It was exactly that, and so much more. The two men went to war in the octagon. Both got hurt. Both got dropped. Both gave every single ounce of what they had. In the end though, it's Lawler who managed to hold onto his bout.
Barely.
The first round saw Condit implement a volume game, and he dropped Lawler halfway through. The second round saw Lawler crack Condit with a counter that sent him to the mat. The third saw both men connect, but it could have gone either way. The fourth was all Condit, with Lawler appearing to slow.
Then came the fifth - one of the best rounds in MMA history, in my opinion.
Lawler came out with urgency, throwing a ton of hard strikes in Condit's direction. Condit's chin held up and he fired back. Both of them engaged in some crazy exchanges. Each man got hurt. Lawler seemed to get the better of it late though, and that might have been the difference.
The scores were 48-47, 47-48, and 48-47. And still - Robbie Lawler continues to be the welterweight champ.