Rivalries: Lorenz Larkin

Inactivity may have shifted Lorenz Larkin to the back burner, but his track record makes him more than just another cog in the Bellator MMA wheel.

“The Monsoon” will return to the stage for the first time in nearly a year when he toes the line against Kyle Stewart in a Bellator 280 middleweight feature on Friday at Accor Arena in Paris. Larkin, now 35 years of age, enters the cage on the strength of a five-fight winning streak. He last competed at Bellator 258, where he was awarded a split decision over former middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho in their contentious May 7 confrontation.

As Larkin moves ever closer to his clash with Stewart, a look at some of the rivalries that have helped shape his career to this point:

Robbie Lawler

Larkin posted the most significant win of his career when he took a unanimous decision from the former EliteXC champion in their Strikeforce “Rockhold vs. Kennedy” middleweight showcase on July 14, 2012 at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. All three cageside judges scored it 30-27. Lawler landed a short right hand to the temple and had the Californian reeling in the first round, but his follow-up barrage did not net him the desired finish. Larkin recovered, bounced back later in the period and did some exquisite work in close quarters with knees, punches and elbows. For much of the rest of the bout, Lawler’s big guns remained holstered. Larkin stepped up his attack with some more multi-faceted striking, as he cut his opponent on the top of the head with a grazing kick in the second round. Blood streamed down Lawler’s face. Nothing changed down the stretch, and Larkin put an exclamation point on the victory with three vicious standing elbows late in Round 3.

Derek Brunson

Takedowns, ground-and-pound and an oppressive top game carried the North Carolinian to a unanimous decision over Larkin in their UFC 177 middleweight prelim on Aug. 30, 2014 at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, California. Brunson swept the scorecards with 30-27 marks across the board. Larkin enjoyed success in the standup—he was particularly effective with his kicks to the body—but did not remain upright long enough to accumulate damage. A three-time All-American wrestler for the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Brunson grounded the California-based kickboxer in all three rounds, sliced through his guard and piled up points with short punches, hammerfists and elbows. He spent much of the 15-minute encounter imposing his will on “The Monsoon.” It was Larkin’s third straight loss, forced him to re-evaluate his position and led to his move to 170 pounds.

Santiago Ponzinibbio

Larkin put away the American Top Team standout with punches in the second round of their UFC Fight Night 70 co-main event on June 27, 2015 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Ponzinibbio bowed out 3:07 into Round 2. Combinations flowed out of Larkin from the start, the Californian pairing multi-punch blitzes with stinging leg kicks. Ponzinibbio never stopped moving forward, even with his mobility compromised. However, the Argentine marched himself right into danger. Larkin cut down “The Ultimate Fighter Brazil” Season 2 semifinalist with a left hook-right cross-left hook combination in the second round and swarmed with vicious ground-and-pound. He continued his assault while Ponzinibbio tried valiantly to return to his feet, and one final left hook to the face forced referee Herb Dean to intervene.

Douglas Lima

The Atlanta-based Brazilian withstood a stern challenge and retained the undisputed Bellator MMA welterweight championship with a five-round unanimous decision over Larkin in their Bellator 180 co-feature on June 24, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Scores were 50-45, 48-47 and 48-47. Lima was slightly busier and landed the more decisive strikes, nearly finishing it in the second round with a clean left hook and follow-up ground-and-pound. Larkin held his own in his pressure-packed promotional debut and managed to strike well in spurts. However, he never could get over the hump against Lima and ultimately failed to forge the finish he needed in the championship rounds. It remains one of only two defeats—Paul Daley was responsible for the other some three months later—for Larkin under the Bellator banner.

Andrey Koreshkov

Larkin took a major step forward in the Bellator MMA organization when he eked out a split decision over the former welterweight champion in the Bellator 229 headliner on Oct. 4, 2019 at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California. All three judges scored it 29-28: Ron McCarthy for Korsehkov, Michael Bell and Luis Cobain for Larkin. Koreshkov had his chances. He floored Larkin with wheel kick in the first round, but the Strikeforce and Ultimate Fighting Championship vet managed to survive the onslaught that followed, owing to his stout chin and high-level experience. Round 2 was a different story. Larkin pushed the Russian backward and uncorked a flying knee that altered the direction of the fight. Koreshkov hit the deck, and though he regained his footing, he was knocked down a second time with another knee strike. Larkin poured on the punishment with elbow-laced ground-and-pound in a bid to finish, but referee Mike Beltran kept his finger off the button. The third round was largely uneventful outside of an attempted guillotine from Larkin. Koreshkov escaped the choke, but his desire to wrestle and an unwillingness to exchange caution for aggression proved costly when the verdict was read.