It’s been nine days since Robbie Lawler took the welterweight belt home to Florida after defeating Johny Hendricks at UFC 181. That closes out a year that began in heartbreak yet ended in improbable redemption -- the type of run that has many calling him the Fighter of the Year.



And The MMA Hour bestowed that honor to him on Monday. After losing in epic fashion at UFC 171 to Hendricks the first time via split decision, Lawler came back to defeat Jake Ellenberger, Matt Brown and then Hendricks again in the rematch. The one they call "Ruthless" could as easily go by "The Comeback Kid" in 2014. Lawler went from Strikeforce middleweight washout to UFC welterweight champion in two years.



As for what happens next, Lawler told host Ariel Helwani he wasn’t sure --but if he had his way, he’d back in the cage come late spring or early summer.



"It’s been a real busy year, but pretty much I’ll be ready whenever the UFC tells me," Lawler said. "But I would prefer to fight like Memorial Day in Vegas or something like that. In May, June or July, somewhere like Vegas. But, whatever -- of the UFC needs me, I’ll show up."



Lawler defeated Hendricks on Dec. 6 via split decision. This second fight, much like the first, had many turning points and plot twists. The biggest difference the second time around was that Hendricks opted not to stand in front like he did in March. Instead he went in more for Octagon control and takedowns using his wrestling.



Though he was effective for portions of the fight, it did disappoint some people who had their expectations attached to the barnburner first encounter at UFC 171.



When asked how he thought Hendricks was tired out and fighting not to lose instead of win, Lawler said that’s a possibility.



"Maybe so, I haven’t really broke it down very much as far as that," he said. "But yeah, I feel like he was wearing down a little bit obviously from maybe the strikes and pushing on the head. And what he was doing was trying not to take any damage, which is really smart. But I’ll leave it up to everyone else to decide what they thought of the way he fought."



Now the question becomes: What happens next for the new 170-pound champ? Does the UFC give him the ordained challenger, Rory MacDonald, who was on-hand in Las Vegas to see the fight? That was the idea going in. And that fight is a rematch, too, from when they faced each other at UFC 167 a little over a year ago.



Or does the pendulum swing back to Hendricks for an immediate trilogy fight? After all, the first two bouts were narrow split decisions, and there’s plenty of fire in the rivalry. That fight might carry a bigger sense of urgency.



The UFC has yet to say which way it’s leaning on the matter, but Lawler says it really doesn’t matter to him who he steps in against next.



"I would prefer the UFC to make the choice and I’ll just show up and fight and do my job," he said. "That’s what I do. I don’t really pick and choose. I’m not a matchmaker, I don’t run the UFC -- I’m a fighter. So I’ll stick to doing what I do best, training and punching people."



Lawler alluded to taking some time off after a busy 2014 in which he fought four times and was perpetually training. So now just a week and change removed from his title fight, Lawler was asked if that was still the idea.



"It’s been a real busy year, but pretty much I’ll be ready whenever the UFC tells me," he said. "But I would prefer to fight like Memorial Day in Vegas or something like that. In May, June or July, somewhere like Vegas. But, whatever -- of the UFC needs me, I’ll show up."