Advertisement

Rafael dos Anjos blows out Anthony Pettis, claims UFC lightweight belt

Rafael dos Anjos blows out Anthony Pettis, claims UFC lightweight belt

After stopping former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson in August, Rafael dos Anjos complained that he was being overlooked.

[DraftKings: Build your ultimate fantasy MMA team today!.]

After dismantling Anthony Pettis Saturday in a shockingly one-sided performance, dos Anjos will be overlooked no more.

The Brazilian completed an incredible nine-month run Saturday by winning all five rounds and lifting the lightweight title from Pettis in the main event of UFC 185 at American Airlines Center.

Coupled with Joanna Jedrzejczyk's victory over Carla Esparza in the women's strawweight title bout in the co-main event, the show became the first where two titles changed hands since UFC 92.

Neither fight was close. Jedrzejczyk stopped Esparza in the second round, using striking and superb takedown defense. Dos Anjos did just about everything but stop Pettis in the performance of his lifetime.

Since a loss in April to unbeaten Khabib Nurmagomedov, dos Anjos has defeated Jason High, Henderson, Nate Diaz and Pettis to claim the belt. The loss to Nurmagomedov had snapped a five-fight winning streak which dos Anjos capped by defeating Donald Cerrone.

Rafael dos Anjos drops an elbow on Anthony Pettis Saturday en route to winning the lightweight title in the main event of UFC 185 in Dallas.  (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Rafael dos Anjos drops an elbow on Anthony Pettis Saturday en route to winning the lightweight title in the main event of UFC 185 in Dallas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

"I'm an MMA fighter," dos Anjos said. "I'm a striker. I'm a jiu-jitsu black belt. I'm improving my wrestling. This is such a blessing. I came from the bottom."

Dos Anjos took it to Pettis from the opening ball. He made Pettis back up and took him apart with body kicks, a strong left hand, good grappling and tremendous takedowns. He took Pettis down nine times Saturday in 10 attempts.

He cracked Pettis with a body kick only seconds into the fight, setting a tone for what was to come. He belted Pettis with a straight left hand a short time later, a punch that opened a cut and caused Pettis' eye to swell.

"He caught me with that left hand and I had no peripheral vision," Pettis said.

Pettis coach Duke Roufus urged Pettis to stay off the cage after the first round, and Pettis came out to start the second moving forward. But dos Anjos quickly took him down and beat him up on the ground. He went for a Kimura and nearly got it, but Pettis fought it off. But just as quickly, dos Anjos grabbed his back and was working for a choke.

He fought powerfully and confidently, mixing his attack and keeping Pettis off balance.

After the victory, he was emotional and credited his faith for helping him to the victory.

"I knew I was going to win before this fight happened," dos Anjos said. "I knew that. [God] told me that."

It came as a shock to Pettis, who never could get an attack going. He's been considered one of the sport's rising stars, but dos Anjos was so good he made Pettis look second-rate on this night.

Nurmagomedov meets Cerrone at UFC 187 in May, so the winner will likely wind up rematching dos Anjos for the belt later in the year.

Whoever wins is going to have his hands full if the same dos Anjos who showed up Saturday shows up in his first defense.

Rafael dos Anjos celebrates his win over Anthony Pettis at UFC 185 at American Airlines Center in Dallas.  (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Rafael dos Anjos celebrates his win over Anthony Pettis at UFC 185 at American Airlines Center in Dallas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)