Rafael dos Anjos changed the course of his main event title-fight showdown at UFC 185 in Dallas against Anthony Pettis with a single punch.
A straight left from dos Anjos shattered Pettis’ orbital bone early in Round 1, effectively blinding the former lightweight champion for the bout’s duration.
According to a recent report from MMA Fighting’s Chuck Mindenhall, that punch was every bit as vicious as it looked from the outside, as Pettis will need six weeks to heal.
UFC Tonight reported that Pettis was required to stay in Dallas until Tuesday as a precautionary measure for the broken orbital and will need a follow-up consultation once he touches down in his home base of Milwaukee.
The newly minted 155-pound champion, dos Anjos, will need some rest and recovery, too.
Dos Anjos’ manager, Ali Abdelaziz, told UFC Tonight’s Ariel Helwani that his fighter suffered a partially torn medial collateral ligament (MCL) about three weeks out from the fight (h/t Fox Sports’ Damon Martin).
While dos Anjos will not need surgery on his knee, he will need three months of rehabilitation to reach full strength.
He was not so lucky where a second injury was concerned. According to a report on UFC Tonight, dos Anjos will need to go under the knife to correct another injury he suffered in training camp. Abdelaziz told Helwani the right side of dos Anjos’ nose is completely shut, while the left side is approximately 70 percent open.
He escaped without surgery for his knee, but he will undergo surgery to correct this issue. A timetable for his recovery and UFC return is not yet known.
These two injuries make dos Anjos’ upset victory over Pettis all the more remarkable. His cardio never slowed despite breathing difficulties, and his takedowns were powerful despite a lingering knee issue.
Stay tuned to Bleacher Report as the situation continues to develop.
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