Baroni: “Too bad Lawler was afraid to fight [Hose], but I’m not.”
Posted by Chad Edward on February 10th, 2008Icon Sport’s President T. Jay Thompson solemnly announced Saturday in Honolulu, “Icon Sport has taken the unprecedented action of stripping Robbie Lawler of his Icon Sport world middleweight title.”
Icon Sport is a Hawaii-based promotion under the ProElite umbrella.
Lawler, known as “Ruthless”, knocked out Frank Trigg for the title in March 2007, but has failed to defended due to various training injuries.
“I’m as disappointed as anybody with the injuries that have prevented me from fighting,” complained Lawler by SMS message.
Icon’s top contender has been Kala Kolohe Hose of Waianae since June 2007, most recently matched-up with Lawler in December. Lawler pulled out of that title fight with a torn bicep.
“We had to bring in a fighter worthy of this belt,” Thompson claimed at Saturday’s press conference.
Hose grinned ear-to-ear as his opponent for a March 15 title showdown was announced.
“One of the most feared strikers in MMA,” Thompson teased. “You know him as ‘The New York Bad Ass’, Phil Baroni will be [Hose's] opponent.”
Baroni last fought in June, suffering a rear naked choke TKO loss to Frank Shamrock in Strikeforce.
Thompson put the best possible spin on the fight, calling Baroni, “Someone that brings the honor and respect to the sport,” despite Baroni emerging from a six-month suspension after testing positive for steroids after his Shamrock loss.
“Too bad Lawler was afraid to fight [Hose], but I’m not,” Baroni taunted, then claimed, “I’ve fought the best fighters in the world, all over the world.”
Baroni is 10-8, 3-3 since winning his first two PRIDE fights in 2005 versus Ikuhisa Minowa and Ryo Chonan.
Hose is 5-1, knocking out five consecutive cans.
At Saturday’s press conference, Baroni called Hose, “A young Phil Baroni, chin down, hands up, and let’em fly.”
Lawler is 16-4 with wins versus Murilo Rua, Trigg, Joey Villasenor, and Falaniko Vitale. Lawler said, “I also look forward to…winning the title back and wearing the Icon belt around my waist where it belongs.”
