UFC on Fox 26 results | Rafael dos Anjos dominates Robbie Lawler (highlights)

The UFC on Fox 26 main event occurred in the welterweight division, where former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler collided with former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in a what was widely considered to be a number-one-contender fight.

The fight began with Lawler pressing forward, while dos Anjos returned fire with some very effective leg kicks. This was the story of the first round.

Here comes @Ruthless_RL. #UFCWinnipeg pic.twitter.com/yEn7zgajjs

— UFC (@ufc) December 17, 2017

Things took a much wilder turn in the second, as both fighters cranked up the offense. The most notable moment of this round occurred when dos Anjos drove Lawler into the cage, and unloaded a baffling, 23-second, 48-punch combination that looked like it was swiped from Tekken or Street Fighter. From there, however, Lawler was able to reclaim the momentum from his foe, which resulted in another close round.

Got ’em on his heels.@RdosAnjosMMA #UFCWinnipeg pic.twitter.com/qHBRk3z3Mn

— UFC (@ufc) December 17, 2017

Wait, DC wasn’t joking. Lawler was ACTUALLY SMILING!!#UFCWinnipeg pic.twitter.com/EbZd6V0zar

— UFC (@ufc) December 17, 2017

In the third round, the momentum swung much more decisively in dos Anjos’ favor, as he was able to drop Lawler with a short elbow. From there, he chased the former welterweight champion to the mat, where he continued to smash him with ground and pound from top position. Though Lawler appeared to be in significant danger, he drew on the boundless heart for which he’s become known, and somehow survived till the end of the round.

In the fourth frame, it became abundantly clear that Lawler was having some issues with his leg, which had smashed into a black and blue slab of meat by dos Anjos’ expertly-timed kicks. By the time the fifth frame had begun, the former welterweight king could barely stand, forced instead to lean desperately on the cage for support. This presented dos Anjos with the opportunity to bully him in the clinch to the final bell, closing out what turned out to be a very dominating performance.

All three cage-side judges scored it 50-45 for Rafael dos Anjos.

Did @RdosAnjosMMA earn a shot at the 🏆? #UFCWinnipeg pic.twitter.com/Tscz5b2JDX

— UFC (@ufc) December 17, 2017

With this result, Rafael dos Anjos moves to 3-0 in the perilous UFC welterweight division, having defeated Tarec Saffiedine, Neil Magny and now, Lawler. He’s now 28-9 overall, and could well be the next challenger for UFC welterweight champ Tyron Woodley.

Lawler, meanwhile is now 28-12 overall. He returns to the loss column after a close July win over Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.

What did you think of Rafael dos Anjos big win at UFC on Fox 26?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 16/12/2017.