UFC welterweight Jake Ellenberger can feel a difference in motivation as he prepares for his UFC 173 bout with Robbie Lawler opposed to when he was readying for a previously scheduled contest opposite Tarec Saffiedine at UFC 172. Ellenberger (29-7 MMA, 8-3 UFC) doesn’t intend to disrespect Saffiedine and was training hard for the matchup, but when the former Strikeforce champion withdrew from this past month’s event and “The Juggernaut” was bumped to UFC 173 to face Lawler (22-10 MMA, 7-4 UFC), his mindset changed. “For me there wasn’t a lot to gain,” Ellenberger told MMAjunkie Radio of a fight with Saffiedine. “I think with a guy like Saffiedine it’s like he may not be the most well known guy, but he’s definitely a tough fight. You beat him, you should have. You don’t or you don’t look good and it is what it is.” While Ellenberger holds Saffiedine in high regard, he has moved past the idea of facing “The Sponge” after injuries forced the matchup to be canceled on two occasions since January.
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UFC 173’s Jake Ellenberger says Lawler, not Saffiedine, will bring out his best – MMA Junkie