Robbie Lawler is known for being silent outside the mixed martial arts cage, and violent inside it.

It is a formula that has transformed him into a fan favorite — and a champion — in Hawai'i.

"I think the Hawai'i fans appreciate how I fight, and that's how I'm always going to fight," said Lawler, who is from Davenport, Iowa. "I don't think there needs to be much said. I just go out there and I compete, and I compete hard. That speaks for itself."

Most of what is expected to be a capacity crowd at the Blaisdell Center Arena will be backing Lawler tomorrow when he faces Brazil's Murilo "Ninja" Rua in the main event of the EliteXC organization's "Uprising" card.

Rua's EliteXC middleweight (185 pounds) world championship will be at stake. Lawler is the middleweight champion for the Hawai'i-based Icon Sport organization, but that title will not be on the line.

"I can't look at it as being anything bigger than just another fight," Lawler said. "That's how I take all my fights and I'm not going to change."

In his last appearance in Hawai'i on March 31, Lawler received a standing ovation from the Blaisdell Arena crowd after he won the Icon Sport championship with an epic knockout of Frank Trigg.

Lawler was supposed to defend the Icon Sport title in June, but he sustained a shoulder injury during training.

"It's just an old injury, it didn't set me back too far at all," he said. "It's not a big deal. I'm ready to fight."

In any case, tomorrow's main event will showcase two of the world's best fighters in the 185-pound division.

Lawler is 14-4 and ranked No. 7 in the world by mmaweekly.com. His nickname is "Ruthless," and he has lived up to it, as 11 of his victories have come via knockout.

Rua is 14-7-1, and is considered an expert in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He won the EliteXC championship in June with a technical knockout of Joey Villasenor.

"I'm more complete as a fighter than my last fight," Rua said through an interpreter. "I know (Lawler) is really aggressive and explosive, but I'm 100 percent prepared for him. I'm ready for any situation."

The bout should feature a contrast in styles, since Lawler is best known for his striking ability, and Rua is renowned for his grappling.

"I'm not too worried about him," Lawler said. "He's got to worry about me. He's got to worry about my hands. He's got to worry about getting me to the ground once I hit him a few times."

Regardless of tomorrow's outcome, Lawler will still defend his Icon Sport championship Nov. 17 against Wai'anae's Kala Kolohe Hose.

Tomorrow's bout between Lawler and Rua will be one of five televised bouts on the Showtime cable network. It is the first time that a mixed martial arts event staged in Hawai'i will air on national television (it will be shown live across most of the United States, but delayed in Hawai'i at 7 p.m.).

The other bouts that will be televised are: Jake Shields vs. Renato "Charuto" Verissimo; Joey Villasenor vs. Riki Fukuda; Gina Carano vs. Tonya Evinger; Nick Diaz vs. Mike Aina.

'CHARUTO' COMEBACK

In April 2006, Renato "Charuto" Verissimo announced he was retiring from mixed martial arts.

Now, he wants to get to the top.

Verissimo, who is originally from Brazil but now resides in Hilo, will take on California's Jake Shields tomorrow in an intriguing matchup of 175-pound fighters.

"Just this year, I had the opportunity to train full-time so I decided I wanted to go for it," Verissimo said. "Last year, I was working and trying to train at the same time and it was hard. Now I just focus on my training, so I feel more prepared."

Verissimo is 7-4; Shields is 18-4-1. Both are considered experts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and the winner of tomorrow's bout could move into world title contention.

"It's going to be a great fight for people who enjoy grappling," Verissimo said. "They're going to see two very good grapplers on the mat."

Verissimo and Shields were both entered in a Rumble on the Rock MMA tournament in January 2006. Verissimo lost in the quarterfinals; Shields won the tournament.

"I think a lot of people wanted to see us fight in that tournament but it didn't work out for me," Verissimo said. "It gives me more fire to perform well this time."

MAIN IN THE MIDDLE

To accommodate the Showtime television broadcast, tomorrow's card will follow a unique schedule.

The card will begin with two preliminary bouts at 3 p.m. The five televised bouts will then be staged between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.

That will be followed by five "undercard" bouts, starting around 6:20 p.m. The five undercard bouts will be streamed live on the internet at www.proelite.com.

TOMORROW'S CARD

Preliminaries (3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.)

145 pounds: Chico Cantiberos vs. Elias Deloruyes. 160: Justin Buchholz vs. Ikaika Choy-Fu.

Showtime bouts (4 p.m. to 6 p.m.)

175: Jake Shields vs. Renato "Charuto" Verissimo. 185: Joey Villasenor vs. Riki Fukuda. 140 (women): Gina Carano vs. Tonya Evinger. 160: Nick Diaz vs. Mike Aina. 185 (EliteXC championship): Murilo "Ninja" Rua vs. Robbie Lawler.

Proelite.com bouts (6:20 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.)

135: Albert Manners vs. Tyson Nam. 185: Kala Kolohe Hose vs. Jeff Cox. 185: Mark Kurano vs. Jose Diaz. 135: Mark Oshiro vs. Nui Wheeler. 170: Brandon Wolff vs. Chad Klingensmith.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.