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Renato Sobral takes unanimous decision over Robbie Lawler

Sobral shows off striking abilities, outpoints Lawler on his feet

Updated Thursday, June 17, 2010 | 12:41 a.m.

Undercard Results

  • Hugo Sandoval (2-2) vs. Marcus Kowal (2-1): Sandoval wins via TKO at 0:43, R2.
  • Jeremy Umphries (5-1) vs. R.J. Clifford (3-2): Umphries wins via submission at 2:20, R2.
  • Conor Heun (8-4) vs. K.J. Noons (4-1): Noons wins via split decision.
  • Trevor Prangley (22-6-1) vs. Tim Kennedy (12-2): Kennedy wins via submission at 3:30, R1.
  • Evangelista Cyborg (18-3) vs. Marius Zaromskis (13-5): Cyborg wins via TKO at 2:38,R1

LOS ANGELES — Renato "Babalu" Sobral spent the last week insisting to fans and media that despite being known as a grappler, he knows what he’s doing on his feet as well.

Robbie Lawler should have listened to him.

Using a variety of strikes and a lot of movement, Sobral more than held his own with the heavy-handed Lawler on his feet en route to a unanimous decision win at the Nokia Theatre.

Lawler gave credit to Sobral for fighting a smart fight but also admitted he had relied way too much on the hope of landing one, knockout shot.

“I thought I was going to knock him out — plain and simple,” Lawler said. “I thought it was inevitable that I was going to knock him out, and it just never happened.”

Despite holding a size advantage, Sobral (36-8) was nearly completely unsuccessful in his attempts to take Lawler (17-6) down.

The fight only went to the floor twice, both results of Lawler throwing ill-advised flying knees that left him wide open to a takedown.

At the post-fight press conference, it was clear Lawler placed much of the blame of the decision on those takedowns, as they may have ended up winning a round for Sobral he otherwise would have lost.

“I gave up one or two takedowns because of that stupid flying knee I wish I could have back,” Lawler said. “I felt good out there, but I left it in the judges' hands.”

Prior to the fight, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker had announced that the winner of the fight would receive a title shot in his respective division.

For Sobral, however, that means a matchup against current light heavyweight champion Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal — a fighter he happens to consider a close friend.

While Sobral and his manager seemed open to accepting that fight on a conference call last week, he made his wishes known over the Showtime Network broadcast Wednesday that his first wish for an opponent is Dan Henderson.

Coker’s response during the post-fight press conference made it clear he likes the idea of a title fight more.

“We talked about Babalu fighting for the championship should he beat Robbie Lawler, and now that’s something we’ll have to sit down and talk about,” Coker said. “I know that (Sobral and Lawal) are friends, but sometimes friends in this business have to get it on.”

Sobral was unable to attend the conference after being taken to the hospital to receive stitches.

Plenty of possibilities exist as well for Lawler, who Coker complimented as "a fighter who’s never fought a boring fight."

Regardless of who he faces next, Lawlor said he learned a valuable lesson Wednesday he’ll take into future fights — knockouts come even when you’re not thinking about them.

“I’m going to pump my jab a little bit more and start winning rounds,” Lawler said. “If I pump my jab and move my feet a little more, I think the knockouts will come.”

Brett Okamoto can be reached at 948-7817 or [email protected].

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