Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports
Another weekend of fisticuffs has come and gone, as UFC on ESPN 4 blew the roof off AT&T Center last Saturday night (July 20, 2019) in San Antonio, Texas. Plenty of fighters were left licking their wounds, including Juan Adams, who was knocked out by Greg Hardy in the very first round (see it).
And Aleksei Oleinik, who was put out to pasture in just 12 seconds by Walt Harris in Heavyweight action (highlights). But which fighter is suffering from the worst post-fight hangover, now 48 hours removed from the show.
Rafael dos Anjos.
Looking for his first two-fight win streak in over two years, Dos Anjos was going into his main event fight against Leon Edwards with the momentum of taking out Kevin Lee in his previous fight. And with the Welterweight division being perhaps one of the most stacked under the UFC banner today, a win was a “must” if he wanted to remain in the mix.
Unfortunately for the former Lightweight champion, he ran into one of the hottest fighters at 170 pounds, one who is looking to finally get the respect he deserves. And it showed, as Edwards put on a dominant performance, outclassing the Brazilian for 25 minutes.
Sure, “RDA” had some good moments, but “Rocky” seemed able to see everything coming from a mile away.
His defense was also on lock, executing a perfect gameplan of patience, precision striking, and overall technique. Never did it seem that Edwards was flustered or wasting any movement, even when Dos Anjos tried to put the pressure on like he does to all his foes.
In the end, Edwards was simply too good, pulling off a five-round sweep for his eighth straight win. As for Dos Anjos, this is now his third loss in his previous four outings. Which is unfortunate for his championship aspirations at 170 pounds, especially after starting his Welterweight campaign with three straight victories over Tarec Saffiedine, Neil Magny and Robbie Lawler.
And he left with a pretty gnarly battle scar, too.
As for what could be next for Dos Anjos, perhaps a showdown against Stephen Thompson is in order. When you look at the Top 10, there really is no one else that makes much sense. “Wonderboy” is ranked No. 6, while Rafael is holding steady at No. 4, though he could drop a few spots after his most recent defeat.
Furthermore, Thompson has also had a rough stretch as of late, losing three of his last four, including his last two outings. Both men like to bang it out on the feet, so there’s that extra excitement factor to it. While neither are on the chopping block, they are both in desperate need of a win to prevent them from falling further down the division ladder.
Any objections?