LAS VEGAS, Nev. - When Robbie Lawler got a second shot at the UFC welterweight title, he was determined to finish with a flourish.Deep in the 25th minute against Johny Hendricks, Lawler unleashed wild flurries of strikes. He kept pursuing the champion even after the bell.A few minutes later, Lawler celebrated his remarkable mid-career resurgence with a belt around his waist.Lawler won the 170-pound title at UFC 181 on Saturday night, claiming a split decision over Hendricks in their rematch.I thought I needed to get in his face, Lawler said. Thats how we fight in the UFC. Thats how we fight championship fights.Anthony Pettis also stopped Gilbert Melendez with a guillotine choke 1:53 into the second round to defend his UFC lightweight title at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.The 32-year-old Lawler (25-10) earned his decision with a dogged five-round effort against Hendricks (16-3), who won the vacant belt by unanimous decision in their first bout in March. Lawler faded late in that fight, while Hendricks finished strong.In the rematch, Lawler turned it around.My coaches just wanted me to go out there and finish strong and do what I do in the gym, and I was able to do that, Lawler said. It means a lot to me because of all the people around me. That isnt just me out there. There was a lot of time and effort from the people around me to get where I am today, and this is their victory too.While Hendricks and Lawler didnt match the theatrics and brutality of their spectacular first fight, in which Hendricks claimed Georges St. Pierres vacated belt despite a torn biceps muscle, Lawler got off to an impressive start in the rematch.He had Hendricks on the defensive for much of the first round, and he finished with a strong fifth, delivering those enormous shots in the final seconds to bring the crowd to its feet.Hendricks controlled long stretches of the middle rounds with tactics and smart strikes while Lawler waned, but the champ appeared to coast to the finish of the final two rounds, perhaps swaying the judges in Lawlers favour.I just didnt fight, Hendricks said. Look at the fourth and fifth round. I didnt come out and fight like I normally do. I didnt stay light on my feet like I should have.Two judges scored the bout for Lawler, 49-46 and 48-47, while the third favoured Hendricks, 48-47. The Associated Press scored it 48-47 for Lawler.While Hendricks injury sidelined him through the summer, Lawler stayed hard at work with impressive victories over Jake Ellenberger and Matt Brown, earning his rematch.Lawler was once best known for failing to reach the heights suggested by his talent, losing five of eight fights in the Strikeforce promotion before rejoining the UFC in early 2013. The former prodigy has realized his potential on MMAs biggest stage, becoming the first former Strikeforce fighter to win a UFC title with six wins in his last seven bouts.The fighters seem headed to a third bout, but Canadian No. 2 contender Rory MacDonald has been promised the next welterweight title shot.I thought it was a great fight, I scored it Robbie three rounds to two, said MacDonald, who is from Kelowna, B.C., and trains out of Montreal. Im very excited to fight him next, Ill be very focused and Ill be ready. Ive been hearing that the fight will be in Canada and thatd be great if it was. Id love it if it were in British Columbia, but Id be happy with anywhere up there.Lawler and Hendricks both said they would accept whatever the UFC decided.I cant wait to get back home to my family, Lawler said. Its been a long year. Ive been on the grind, camp to camp, just striving to be champion, to get back to this moment.Pettis (18-2) was impressive in his first title defence, finishing Melendez (22-4) for the first time in the veteran Strikeforce champions career.After Melendez largely controlled Pettis against the cage in the first round, Pettis surprised him with a damaging front kick early in the second. Pettis then defended Melendezs takedown attempt and locked in the choke, getting a quick submission to end his first fight in 16 months.I know how good I am, but a lot of people were questioning how good I am, Pettis said. This fight went a little bit longer, so you got to see a little more.Before the title bouts, heavyweight Todd Duffee celebrated his 29th birthday by stopping Anthony Hamilton just 33 seconds in with a crushing right hand. Heavyweight Travis Browne then stopped Brendan Schaub on punches with 10 seconds left in their opening round.Josh Samman delivered the best finish of an entertaining undercard, knocking out Eddie Gordon with a spectacular head kick in the second round. Samman, who had been dominated on the ground beforehand, dedicated the win to his girlfriend, Hailey Bevis, who died in a car accident last year.Also on the undercard, Urijah Faber choked out Francisco Rivera in the second round shortly after poking Rivera in the eye. Faber, who got booed after replays of the apparently inadvertent eye-poke, is 11-6 over the last six years, with every loss in a title fight. Mark Bavaro Youth Jersey . 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The result was a game-winning, power-play goal. Chiasson snapped a third-period tie and lifted the Dallas Stars to a 3-2 victory on Monday night.The Detroit Tigers are slumping, losing five of their last six, yet remained on top of the TSN.ca MLB Power Rankings thanks to other top challengers going through their own struggles. Under any other circumstances, the Los Angeles Dodgers or Pittsburgh Pirates would have been poised to overtake the Tigers, but the Dodgers and Pirates both lost four of their last five, preventing them from moving up the ladder. Regaining the American League West lead, the Oakland As have won 12 of their last 16 and move up from 10 to seven. The surging Cleveland Indians, 6-2 in September, are up from 15 to 12. Further down the list, the Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays are winning when it doesnt matter so much for their respective seasons.dddddddddddd Nevertheless, the Phillies are up from 23 to 18 after going 13-8 in their last 21 games while the Blue Jays are up from 25 to 22 after a 10-3 record in their last 13 games. Heading in the wrong direction, the Texas Rangers are struggling offensively and have lost six of eight in September, dropping in the rankings from four to eight. All is not well in Chicago, where the Cubs fell from 21 to 25 and the White Sox dropped from 24 to 27. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. ' ' '