In recent years, questions about how far he can go in the talent-rich 135-pound weight class have been replaced by feelings of uncertainty about his future; a desire to test himself against the best in the world forced to take a back seat to wondering if he’s going to be able to compete at all.
Right now, making it to the Octagon with only the bumps and bruises accumulated throughout camp would be a welcome victory for Lawrence.
“As fighters, we step into the cage and all we think about is winning, but just making it to the fight, at this point, is a win,” he said. “(I’m hoping) that I can focus on fighting again, trying to stay active, try and crack that Top 15 and really see what I’m made of, instead of worrying ‘Do I need to retire? Can I keep doing this? Was I a guy that possibly could have been a champ, but my body gave up?’
“I would really love to make that walk, prove to myself that I can do it. Fighting healthy would be awesome. I haven’t fought healthy since my UFC debut — that was the only fight where I didn’t have any health issues, everything was fine, my immune system wasn’t messed up.”
And two weeks before his fight, everything was trending towards a healthy, focused, motivated Lawrence making the walk this weekend.
“I think we’re gonna make it,” he said confidently. “I hit that spot in camp to where I felt like s*** and felt amazing at the same time.”
Hopefully this will become the new trend for Lawrence, and fans will be able to see what made Dana White so excited about his prospects the night he earned his contract and showcasing the form that carried him to a dominant effort in his promotional debut.
