LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Ronnie Lawrence[/autotag] wasn’t as high on his performance as most people seemed to be.
Lawrence (6-1) cashed in big as an underdog when he swept the judges’ scorecards against the streaking and proven finisher Jose Johnson on Tuesday at Dana White’s Contender Series 31.
The win earned him a UFC contract and had UFC president Dana White and former dual champion Daniel Cormier singing his praises for his dominant display of grappling and well-rounded skills.
But even though White called him “special,” Lawerence said he knows he has a lot more to give.
“I don’t know – I’d have to watch some tape. But like a 6.5 or something,” Lawrence told reporters, including MMA Junkie, after his win at the UFC Apex. “It’s great. Every coach that I’ve met usually have said the same thing. I felt the same way about myself. I’ve just got to get back in there and do better.”
Lawrence said he’s ready for a quick turnaround and is hoping that next time, he’s able to get a more efficient fight camp in which he’s not moving around so much to get his training in.
“I’m ready to go,” Lawrence said. “First Round Management, they’re going to get me a fight quick. We’re going to hit the gym, watch some tape, make some adjustments. This training camp was crazy. It was all over the place. I was training in multiple gyms. I wasn’t grappling a lot. It just wasn’t a great camp. The last few weeks were really good, so the next camp should be a lot better.”
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