UFC 276: Bryan Barberena throws 340 punches to get second round knockout of Robbie Lawler (Video)

Bryan Barberena’s hands never stopped moving as he overwhelms Robbie Lawler with punches and gets a thunderous knockout victory

Bryan Barberena had a strategy going into his bout with Robbie Lawler that revolved around never letting his hands stop, and it worked. With 340 total strikes thrown in just a round and a half, Barberena somehow just kept going, overwhelming Lawler and opening up his guard for his heavier shots.

In the first round alone, Barberena threw 190 total strikes, although he landed under a third of those strikes and was clearer causing less damage than his opponent. Lawler is known for his durability, so it was no surprise that Lawler came out of the round break looking completely unphased.

However, things changed in the second round when Barberena caught Lawler with a step-in elbow. Lawler immediately looked wobbled and would look that way for the next ninety seconds and Barberena unloaded on him. It would take quite a few strikes for Lawler to finally open his guard, but then it was curtains, as Barbarena unloaded with overhands and uppercuts.

Bryan Barberena deserves a welterweight ranking after knocking out Robbie Lawler

The UFC’s welterweight division is top-heavy, with Leon Edwards, Colby Covington, Khamzat Chimaev, and Gilbert Burns making up the contenders Kamaru Usman’s throne. The bottom half is wide open for new contenders, and with a knockout of Lawler, Barberena has made a clear statement deserving of a ranking.

UFC 276: Israel Adesanya vs. Jared Cannonier takes place on Saturday, July 2, 2022, live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. Follow along with FanSided MMA, who is on-site, for all your news and highlights.