If you’re going to play the role of rebel and antihero, you should probably back up your talk with your actions in the cage.
Nate Diaz stole the spotlight in the days leading up to UFC on FOX 13. He skipped the open workouts for his bout in Phoenix with Rafael dos Anjos, complained about pay and the UFC’s policies, then missed weight for the lightweight fight by four pounds.
Then Diaz went out and got absolutely dominated by dos Anjos. The Brazilian used leg kicks to brutalize his opponent, cruise to a one-sided win, and state his case for a shot at Anthony Pettis‘ lightweight title.
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Diaz (17-10), in his first fight in 13 months, should toughness in getting the decision, but that’s about all you can credit for his performance. Dos Anjos (23-7) won a unanimous decision on scores of 30-26, 30-26, and 30-27.
“I’m happy, I’ve been working hard for years,” said dos Anjos, who has won three straight and eight of his past nine. “I want my title shot. Dana White, please give me the title shot”
Dos Anjos threw Diaz off his game from the outset with his leg kicks, battering Diaz and forcing him to switch stances early. Before the round was out, dos Anjos had done a number on Diaz’s other leg as well. Diaz went for a leglock from the bottom in his only offense of note in the fight, but dos Anjos was never in serious trouble.
It was rinse and repeat in rounds two and three. In the second, referee Jason Herzog made the rare move of having the doctor come in to check Diaz’s legs. In the closing seconds of the final rounds, Diaz started throwing slaps from the bottom, which only earned him a final, vicious flurry from dos Anjos.
“I watched his previous fights and I noticed he doesn’t block any kicks at all,” said dos Anjos. “So that was my game plan with my team. A lot of leg kicks to set up the takedown.”