Rafael dos Anjos Stellar In Decision Victory Over Robbie Lawler
Rafael dos Anjos may have earned himself a welterweight title shot after a dominant display against Robbie Lawler.
The stage was set for the main event of UFC on FOX 26. In a supposed welterweight title eliminator, Lawler and dos Anjos did battle. The action took place inside the Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
A body kick got in for dos Anjos early in the opening frame. Lawler connected with a right hook during an exchange. A leg kick landed for dos Anjos. Lawler was off balanced from another leg kick. “Ruthless” moved forward with strikes. Knees to the body in the clinch landed for dos Anjos. Finally, Lawler was able to break free. Lawler had an issue with the clinch position throughout this round. The round ended with the action near the center of the Octagon.
Lawler and dos Anjos traded leather early in the second stanza. A left hand landed for dos Anjos and he blitzed his opponent. He ripped into the body and landed some head strikes. Lawler took the strikes and engaged in the clinch.
A takedown attempt from dos Anjos didn’t go anywhere. Lawler had a kick caught and ate two punches. Lawler threw some strikes, but dos Anjos wrapped him up in a clinch. The round ended with both men just breaking off of the clinch.
A takedown attempt from dos Anjos scored him top control. Lawler got back to his feet quickly. They exchanged strikes in the clinch. A short elbow was there for dos Anjos. Lawler ripped a combination to the body. A short elbow from dos Anjos dropped Lawler. Some hard elbows on the ground found the mark for dos Anjos. The round came to a close shortly after.
The fourth round was underway and dos Anjos connected with two body kicks. Lawler landed a couple of strikes, but he found his back against the fence. Some hard knees to the body landed for dos Anjos. Leg kicks continued to find the target for dos Anjos. He had control of the clinch position. Lawler got in a right hand, but dos Anjos didn’t let up in his pressure. A combination connected for dos Anjos. A flying knee was there for dos Anjos followed by an elbow to end the round.
A left hand found the mark for dos Anjos and he ripped a shot to the body. A takedown was scored by dos Anjos. The action was stood back up and dos Anjos wasted little time in the clinch. Lawler went for short uppercuts before getting out of the clinch. Another flying knee attempt was there for dos Anjos. The final horn sounded to the applause of the fans in attendance.
The decision was clear.
Final Result: Rafael dos Anjos def. Robbie Lawler via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
