Robbie Lawler’s fighting Saturday, so let the savageness resume

Robbie Lawler isn’t one to elaborate on his mixed martial arts talents, which center around his joy for brutality, except if he’s drawn into the conversation.

Or drawn into a fight … .

UFC welterweight champion Lawler returns from back-to-back wars Saturday in Atlanta when he headlines UFC 201 against formidable contender Tyron Woodley.

“Woodley has tremendous athleticism, brings a lot of technique – well-rounded fighter,” Lawler said. “I expect him to wrestle, move around, [know] that wherever the fight goes, he feels safe. But I always feel like I’m able to put the fight where I want it to go. Five rounds is a long time to find your way around it.”

In his past two fights, Lawler has endured a cut-in-half lip and landed an onslaught of punches to claim decisive fifth rounds.

He and Woodley both made weight at the 170-pound limit Friday, and Woodley knows what he’s in for as he returns from an extended absence caused by former champion Johny Hendricks missing weight and scrapping their October bout.

“Robbie brings a lot to the table,” Woodley said. “He shows a lot of hardened fights and … you have to fight through those things -- matching my skill set versus his skill set and just being prepared to go out there for five rounds to fight hard and do what I do best.”

Woodley (15-3) is banking on the submission skills he’s added to existing elite-level punching and wrestling.

“I just matured as a fighter and it’s my time to seize it,” Woodley told reporters during a recent conference call. “I’m just a person [with] a seat at the throne right now, and that’s where I desire to sit.”

The veteran Lawler counters that he’s unwilling to surrender the belt as he’s maximized the lessons he’s taken from more than 30 pro fights and 10 losses.

“Everyone’s out there trying to take what’s mine, and they’re going to have to fight me for it,” Lawler, 34, said. “Push comes to shove, I’m a fighter. I’m going to force someone to fight me. To take what I have, they’re going to have to have more than skill and technique. It’s a lot of heart, a lot of determination. That’s just who I am. I’m not messing around out there. I’m not giving it away.”

The question is whether the brutal prior brawls with Rory MacDonald and Carlos Condit have exacted a toll in the latest demanding test.

Lawler joked at a lunch in Los Angeles this month that he was “sick” of fights-of-the-year, even if another seems possible.

“I admire him,” Woodley said. “But I want to be a UFC champion.”