Rafael dos Anjos shook up the lightweight division in a major way at UFC Fight Night 49, stopping former record-tying champion Benson Henderson with a stunning first-round assault to vault his own name into instant title contention. The Brazilian showed little fear of Henderson, charging inside with a flying knee then following up his salvo with a devastating left hand that sent the division’s assumed No. 1 toppling to the canvas.
Referee “Big” John McCarthy quickly jumped in to stop the contest, however once the shock of dos Anjos’ division-changing upset subsided, debate about McCarthy’s quick trigger continued to rage across social media, prompting a slew of fighters to weigh-in on the situation.
Wow
— Ramsey Nijem (@RamseyNijem) August 24, 2014
Early stoppage wtf
— John Moraga (@chicanojohn) August 24, 2014
That’s what I’m talking about @RdosAnjosMMA #ufc
— Thomas E Watson (@TomKongWatson) August 24, 2014
WHAT!!!!! Caught him slipping! He was hurt before the knee
— Michael Johnson (@FollowTheMenace) August 24, 2014
and now you understand who is who @ufc
— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) August 24, 2014
Hello every one do you under stand how good @TeamKhabib is now @danawhite @lorenzofertitta @ufc
— Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00) August 24, 2014
I’d say a pretty fast stoppage but dos Anjos looked great and earned the Tko stoppage in rd 1! #UFCFightNight
— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) August 24, 2014
WoooooooooooooooooooooooooooW I wasn’t expecting that @ufc
— Manny Gamburyan (@MannyGamburyan) August 24, 2014
Oh …that was unforeseen , that quick !!! @ufc @RdosAnjosMMA congrats! Foi imprevista essa!
— Raphael Assuncao (@RaphaAssuncao) August 24, 2014
Big john…you sir fucked up. That being said, Henderson wasn’t gonna win tonight. RDJ is starting to rise above and shine.
— Cody Bollinger (@CodyBollinger) August 24, 2014
Did I just call that $%#T or what!?!? #UFCfightnight Nice. Kinda short stoppage, but glad to see both fighters OK @UFC #Finish
— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) August 24, 2014
Plow @rdosanjosmma ?????? http://t.co/dXFPturQL5
— Gesias JZ Cavalcante (@Gesias) August 24, 2014
RDA was impressive tonight. Khabib is going to be the next champ though IMO. No one can wrestle with that guy.
— Cody Gibson (@TheRenegade559) August 24, 2014
How u gonna stop a fight after one punch if he’s not out cold????
— John Moraga (@chicanojohn) August 24, 2014
I did not see that coming!! Congrats to Dos Añjos
— Kyle Kingsbury (@Kingsbu) August 24, 2014
If he was out why was he gettin up??? RT @ASUTRUE: @chicanojohn he was out john
— John Moraga (@chicanojohn) August 24, 2014
Early
— John Alessio (@johnalessio79) August 24, 2014
The refs job is to keep us as safe as possible. If you want to be all punch drunk and damaged goods once your career is over go box
— Will Brooks (@illwillbrooks86) August 24, 2014
Wow! DosAnjos hands looked fast. I’m just as surprised as everyone else. Great night of fights. #UFCFightNight49 #UFCTulsa
— Joe Ellenberger (@JoeEllenberger) August 24, 2014
“@TheDKano: Early stop John?? #UFCFightNight” SUPER EARLY! Wth man, he landed on his elbow and came-to really quick. Ive seen worse beatings
— Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMasterAljO) August 24, 2014
WOW congrats to @RdosAnjosMMA he hit @BensonHenderson hard @fearthefighter @lunarpages @ufc http://t.co/qQnK3vucCH
— Roy Nelson (@roynelsonmma) August 24, 2014
Early stoppage, don’t take a fight of that magnitude away from the fighters. #UFCTulsa
— Scott Holtzman (@HotSauceHoltzy) August 24, 2014
People, this is MMA, anything can happen.
— russell doane (@RussellDoane135) August 24, 2014
MIKE PYLE VS. JORDAN MEIN
damn……… If ur watching #UFCTulsa you know what I’m talking bout
— Louis Gaudinot (@LouGaudinotUFC) August 24, 2014
Oh shit mein dropped levels and came up with a massive hook dropping Pyle then finishing him. Beautiful. #UFCFightNight
— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) August 24, 2014
Wooooow! Great stuff by young gun mien!!
— Chad Laprise (@ChadLaprise) August 24, 2014
That was explosive. Nice finish. #UFCFightNight49
— Joe Ellenberger (@JoeEllenberger) August 24, 2014
Daaaaamn! Jordan Mein is no joke!!
— Kyle Kingsbury (@Kingsbu) August 24, 2014
Mein is for real…he got Matt Brown too early in his career…
— Brian Rogers (@BRogthePredator) August 24, 2014
FRANCIS CARMONT VS. THALES LEITES
That was unexpected… #UFCFightNight
— Akira Corassani (@AkiraCorassani) August 24, 2014
After a lackluster rd 1 leites comes out with a fire under his butt and brings it to Carmont, finishing him with strikes! #UFCFightNight
— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) August 24, 2014
New Thales, congrats my friend, great evolution standing. Strength and honor. @thalesleites
— Eduardo Dantas (@DuduDantasMMA) August 24, 2014
Parabéns deu showw @thalesleites @novauniaousa
— Amanda Nunes (@Amanda_Leoa) August 24, 2014
Thales Leites!! Wow! What a right hand! #UFCTulsa
— Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMasterAljO) August 24, 2014
Boa @thalesleites parabenssssssss..
— Antonio Pezao Silva (@BigfootSilva) August 24, 2014
Nice! It must have been his hair! #thalesleites
— Lance Palmer (@LancePalmer) August 24, 2014
From one balding guy to another.. @thalesleites needs to give it up and do the @danawhite I’m not far behind either!! #UFCFightNight
— Travis Browne (@travisbrowneMMA) August 24, 2014
Lmao @franciscarmont looks like a buff @Tyrese #UFCFightNight
— Chris Holdsworth (@holdsworth135) August 24, 2014
A chaque montée il y a une descente , la remontée est difficile 🙁 Merci pour tout le soutien.
— Francis Carmont (@franciscarmont) August 24, 2014
MAX HOLLOWAY VS. CLAY COLLARD
White boy vs @BlessedMMA … Oh shit I love violence
— Ian McCall (@Unclecreepymma) August 24, 2014
Collard didn’t have a proper camp… I like his gameness…. This is a scrap. Holloway taking over
— TJ Grant (@TJ_Grant) August 24, 2014
This Collard kid is durable. Holloway has some serious skills. This one is awesome. #UFCFightNight49 #UFCTulsa
— Joe Ellenberger (@JoeEllenberger) August 24, 2014
@BlessedMMA is the fucking man!
— russell doane (@RussellDoane135) August 24, 2014
He is taking ko blows and walking through them… props RT @ufc: .@CCCcollard is #ToughAsNails
— Bubba McDaniel (@BubbaTheMenace) August 24, 2014
Good stuff #hawaiian @BlessedMMA
— Travis Browne (@travisbrowneMMA) August 24, 2014
Not bad for a 21 year old kid with a week notice right @seanshelby @danawhite next time @CCCcollard will get the w
— Steven Siler (@Stevesiler) August 24, 2014
Performance of the night!! @BlessedMMA
— Yancy Medeiros (@ymedeiros) August 24, 2014
Collard doesn’t sit down on his punches much for being a boxer
— Brian Rogers (@BRogthePredator) August 24, 2014
I love watching @BlessedMMA fight. Awesome brotha!
— Lance Palmer (@LancePalmer) August 24, 2014
Now you know why @CCCcollard is my favorite fighter to watch @ufc #UFCFightNight
— Ramsey Nijem (@RamseyNijem) August 24, 2014
Max holloway with the finish in rd 3. I’d watch that again for sure. FOTN! #UFCFightNight
— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) August 24, 2014
Nice work @BlessedMMA ! Congrats brudda
— Joseph Benavidez (@JoeJitsu) August 24, 2014
Awesome fight @BlessedMMA !!!!
— Ricardo Lamas (@RicardoLamasMMA) August 24, 2014
That was a great performance by max holloway. I Want to see more of Collins too. He is a future beast
— TJ Grant (@TJ_Grant) August 24, 2014
JAMES VICK VS. WALMIR LAZARO
These guys are throwing to hurt the wind, but the wind is #winning! #UFCTulsa
— Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMasterAljO) August 24, 2014
Throw technique and defense out the window and brawl. Haha it makes it exciting I suppose. #UFCFightNight49 #awkward
— Joe Ellenberger (@JoeEllenberger) August 24, 2014
Bellator has announced that the winner of this fight, based off of the technique shown, gets an immediate title shot. @MMARoasted
— Cody Gibson (@TheRenegade559) August 24, 2014
I’m seriously impressed by how well he takes a kick to the head
— russell doane (@RussellDoane135) August 24, 2014
Lazaro keeps getting those 1ups just like in Super Mario #UFCFightNight @ufc
— Akira Corassani (@AkiraCorassani) August 24, 2014
Well Lazaro Vick wasnt the most technically advanced UFC fight I’ve seen…but they definitely left it all out there lol #UFCFightNight
— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) August 24, 2014
People hate so so much on #bellator …then this fight make the main card of tonight’s #ufc . Honestly I’m glad people are getting paid tho
— Brian Rogers (@BRogthePredator) August 24, 2014
CHAS SKELLY VS. TOM NIINIMAKI
How bout dem TX boys!!!!#UFCTulsa
— Roger Narvaez (@Silverback316) August 24, 2014
Great seats to watch @ChasSkelly get it done in just over two minutes!! Way to go chas!
— Jared Rosholt (@JaredRosholt) August 24, 2014
Nice RNC from Skelly. Under the chin or on the jaw, you can finish regardless as long as you’ve got a man squeeze. #UFCFightNight #UFCTulsa
— Cody Gibson (@TheRenegade559) August 24, 2014
Wooooohooooo!! Great fight @ChasSkelly #Texas #scrapper #UFCFightNight
— BrutalJohnnyBedford (@BrutalBedford) August 24, 2014
BEN SAUNDERS VS. CHRIS HEATHERLY
Thata boy. @bensaundersMMA
— Daniel Straus (@DanielStraus) August 24, 2014
Hell yeah Ben congratulations @bensaundersMMA !!!!
— Court McGee (@Court_McGee) August 24, 2014
“@ufc: Killa B is BACK!!” Yeahyeahyeah!!! #10P4L @eddiebravo @bensaundersMMA Congrats!!!
— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) August 24, 2014
Caral ………. @bensaundersMMA deu aula de chão agora, e pegou na Omoplata. Quem luta #mma sabe como é difícil finalizar na omoplata !!!
— Eduardo Dantas (@DuduDantasMMA) August 24, 2014
Omoplata in the house #UFCFightNight
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) August 24, 2014
Congats @bensaundersMMA awesome job bro!
— joey beltran (@mexicutioner760) August 24, 2014
@bensaundersMMA is a ninja.. always exciting and has an awesome unique style! There’s more than one way to the top.
— Mike Brown (@mikebrownmma) August 24, 2014
I’m happy for @bensaundersMMA! Was nice to see a omoplata finish back in the game. Congrats dude!!! #UFCFightNight
— Gesias JZ Cavalcante (@Gesias) August 24, 2014
Thanx for all the support … u live and you learn ..in this sports there is two options win and lose tonight wasnt my night…il be back..
— Chris Heatherly (@get_stumpd185) August 24, 2014