Fighting Legacy
Professor Lawler’s battle-tested record spans cage wars and championship brackets: 35–8–1 overall, Pro MMA 7–4–1 with 5 first-round finishes, and 250+ jiu jitsu matches on the mats.
Career Snapshot
24 years of martial arts experience across kickboxing, boxing, wrestling, and Brazilian jiu jitsu, tested in hundreds of matches and countless rounds on the mats.
35–8–1
Total combat sports record
7–4–1
Pro MMA record (5 first-round finishes)
250+ matches
Brazilian jiu jitsu competition bouts
24 Years on the Mats
From early kickboxing smokers to high-level jiu jitsu brackets, Professor Lawler has treated every round like a laboratory. The goal: build a system that works under pressure and pass it on to the next generation.
Training Timeline
- 2002: Started kickboxing and foundational striking.
- 2005: Added No-Gi Brazilian jiu jitsu and boxing, blending pressure-tested grappling with sharp hands.
- 2007: Committed to Gi jiu jitsu, focusing on grip fighting, choking systems, and positional dominance.
- 2011: Integrated wrestling for takedowns, scrambles, and top pressure to round out a complete mixed martial arts game.
Black Belt Credentials
Lawler is more than a coach who “used to fight”–he is an active, proven competitor at the highest levels of Brazilian jiu jitsu.
- 2nd degree Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt
- Promoted March 2020 under Professors Michael Seals and Shawn Hammonds
- Southeast Kentucky’s only IBJJF competitive black belt
- 3-time Ohio State black belt champion
- 2-time ASJL middleweight black belt national champion
- Current ASJL national black belt grand champion
- 2-time West Virginia state brown belt champion
- 2014 UFC Expo No-Gi 165 lb expert champion
Fight & Competition Record
A career built on pressure-tested rounds across cages, rings, and mats.
| Discipline | Record | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pro MMA | 7–4–1 | 5 first-round finishes |
| Amateur MMA | 4–1 | Built the foundation for a ruthless, technical style |
| Amateur Kickboxing | 3–0 | Early striking experience and ring time |
| Amateur Boxing | 2–0 | Sharpened hands and defensive awareness |
| Pakration | 19–3 | Blending wrestling, submissions, and striking in one ruleset |
Highlights
Nationals
IBJJF National Championship Competitor
Regionals
Kentucky Ohio State Champ
From Cage to Coaching
Compete with honor, always. Years on the competition mats forged Lawler’s calm, ruthless efficiency. He embraces pressure, hunts submissions while respecting every opponent, and treats every match as a chance to sharpen mindset. Today, that same intensity is focused on coaching—turning hard-earned lessons from cages and championship mats into clear systems his students can trust when it’s their turn under the lights.