https://twitter.com/UFCONFOX/status/942227689850650625
- UFCONFOX
Rafael dos Anjos is a legitimate 170-pound contender. The former 155-pound champion beat up and dominated another former champion in Robbie Lawler on Saturday night at UFC Fight Night Winnipeg, earning a unanimous decision victory (50-45, 50-45, 50-45). Dos Anjos was way more physical and put constant pressure on Lawler throughout the 25-minute fight, at one point putting on a striking clinic over the five-round bout.
Dos Anjos' best display of skill came in the second round when he backed Lawler up against the fence and unloaded a massive amount of punches that at the time looked like it did real damage, but Lawler walked away smiling.
But the smiles went away quickly from Lawler because dos Anjos continued his onslaught over the final 15 minutes, landing a variety of head kicks and leg kicks. By the start of the fifth round, Lawler could barely walk or put pressure on his right leg from the amount of damage it had taken.
Dos Anjos (28-9), mentioned before the bout that he believed this fight should have been for the interim welterweight title. Now, he's calling for his shot at champion Tyron Woodley.
"My hands are hurting because I hit that guy in the head and he's got a tough head," dos Anjos said. "I started working on the body more. For me, I'm just blessed. In my opinion, I just beat the toughest guy in the division. I think I deserve it because of my history, doing what I did in the other division, being 10 years in UFC already, I think I did enough tonight to dserve that title shot and I'm sure I'll get that belt."
Dos Anjos is now 3-0 at 170 pounds while Lawler is 1-2 in his last three fights.