UFC 189 results recap: Robbie Lawler vs Rory MacDonald fight review and analysis

To watch Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald full fight video highlights from last night click here.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweights Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald clashed once more at UFC 189 inside MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Lawler had an absolutely incredible 2014, winning three fights and securing the title. Last night, he looked to defend his title for the first time and continue his impressive streak.

MacDonald has been hailed a future champion for years now. After a couple key losses kept him away from the belt -- including his first match up with "Ruthless" -- the Canadian finally worked his way into a title fight.

The first round played out at a very slow pace. Neither man landed anything spectacular nor scored any takedowns, making it a close round. However, MacDonald did land some of the cleaner straight right hands, meaning he likely edged out the round.

Lawler looked to get his jab going early in the second round, while MacDonald kept active with his kicks. After landing a nice combination of punches, MacDonald continued to work his front kick and straight right hand.

With around 90 seconds left in the round, the two fighters really opened up. Both men were landing some powerful punches, but Lawler's were scoring with greater impact. In addition, MacDonald's face was really starting to bruise up and swell.

While MacDonald controlled the first half of the round, Lawler's late damage earned him the second frame.

Lawler continued strong into the third round. His left hand kept connecting hard, and MacDonald was bleeding pretty badly. "The Red King" was definitely in the fight and landing shots, but Lawler's simply had a noticeably more powerful impact.

For most of the round, Lawler picked his opponent apart. However, MacDonald scored with a heavy high kick with just about 30 seconds left in the round, and he tee'd off on his opponent for the rest of the round, badly rocking his opponent.

Nonetheless, it was enough to win him the round.

Another head kick from MacDonald started a big combination for the Canadian. For about two minutes, MacDonald was pressuring his opponent and landing hard shots, although Lawler hung tough in the pocket.

From about the halfway point of the round on, Lawler made it a point not to take a backwards step. He was landing the better shots by a slim margin, but MacDonald was not backing down in the least.

In a hugely important round, neither man held a clear advantage.

Ultimately, this absolutely spectacular fight ended in a strange moment. Lawler landed another straight left hand directly to MacDonald's nose, likely shattering it further. Regardless, it was enough to break MacDonald, as the Canadian crumbled down to the mat.

Simply put, Lawler doesn't know how to be in boring fights. Each of his title bouts have been absolute wars and highly competitive fights, and this one was no different. The champion took a ton of damage, but he simply never stopped fighting and looking for his own punches.

To some extent, power simply cannot be taught. Both men punched with excellent technique and strategy, but Lawler simply landed with more impact. At the end of the day, that very literally decided the fight, as MacDonald's repeatedly abused nose finally gave out.

This is another huge win for Lawler, and he really cemented his place as a true champion. Against an excellent prospect and one of mixed martial arts' "new breed" of fighters, Lawler overcame adversity to pull off the victory.

AGAIN!

MacDonald came into this bout with a very strong game plan -- as should be expected of a Tristar fighter -- but it fell apart when he began to open up. He had some success with the high kick, but he was still unable to overcome Lawler's onslaught.

Luckily, MacDonald is still a young fighter with room to improve. Regardless of who MacDonald is faced with next, he can keep working towards the belt. He'll definitely be an elite fighter long enough to eventually earn another shot against whoever holds the belt.

Last night, Robbie Lawler defended his crown with a knockout win. How long can he hold onto his strap?

For complete UFC 189: "Mendes vs McGregor" live results and play-by-play, click HERE!