UFC on FOX 26 results: Rafael dos Anjos brilliant in 5-round dismantling of Robbie Lawler

In a battle of two former UFC champs, former lightweight title holder Rafael dos Anjos (28-9 MMA, 17-7 UFC) proved he’s a real threat at 170 pounds, whitewashing future UFC Hall of Famer Robbie Lawler (28-12 MMA, 13-6 UFC).

The welterweight bout was the main event of today’s UFC on FOX 26 event at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It aired on FOX following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Lawler was patient to start, while dos Anjos was busy on his feet, darting in and out and opening with a low kick. The two did engage in the pocket early, with both men landing clean in a fun flurry. The constant movement from dos Anjos opened a few opportunities, but Lawler was always in position to answer back with powerful countershots. The leg kicks remained a solid weapon for dos Anjos as the round unfolded, and he was able to do damage with knees in a few Thai clinches, as well. Lawler answered with knees of his own to close the first, and the round ended on the feet.

Lawler picked up the pace to start the second and unleashed bombs on the feet, though dos Anjos remained calm under fire and delivered a few return shots of his own. Lawler briefly trapped his opponent against the cage and looked incredibly menacing, though dos Anjos fought his way back to the center and started picking away at the body, unleashing a near non-stop barrage of punches. Despite absorbing damage, Lawler simply smiled, and dos Anjos had to halt the onslaught to ensure he didn’t punch himself out.

Lawler rallied late in the round, again threatening with flurries, though dos Anjos dealt well with the attacks and used the clinch to relieve the pressure.

Lawler again pressured to start the third, moving forward and throwing heavy punches. To counter, dos Anjos turned to his wrestling, changing levels and dragging his opponent to the floor. Lawler scrambled well, getting to a seated position and eventually to his feet, but dos Anjos did enjoy some riding time before the reset. Once on the feet, dos Anjos kept the action tight by again working the Thai clinch, though Lawler alertly took advantage of the exposed body by pummeling his opponent there in spurts.

With a little more than a minute remaining, dos Anjos scored a left hand inside that sent Lawler to the floor. The Brazilian jumped on top and landed a few big elbows from there before the round ended. Back in the corner, Lawler seemed to suggest to his corner he was dealing with a knee injury.

Lawler tried to turn the tide in the fourth, but it seemed his mobility was limited with an ailing leg. Meanwhile, dos Anjos kept his pace high and continued to grind. The clinch remained a favored position for dos Anjos, though he chopped the leg when available, as well. With his leg limiting his options, Lawler was forced to retreat to the cage and try to find opportunities for a big counter. That was fine with dos Anjos, who was content to press forward and stay active with his strikes.

Despite admittedly being injured, Lawler answered the bell for the final round and came out swinging. A takedown from dos Anjos didn’t lead to anything, and referee Herb Dean brought them back to the feet. Lawler was forced to simply lean against the cage for support, though his punches still seemed powerful enough when he found room to throw. Lawler was gutsy in his effort, but it was clear he was a wounded fighter, and dos Anjos cruised to a decision win, staking a real claim for a future title shot with 50-45 scores on all three cards.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on FOX 26 results include:

• Josh Emmett def. Ricardo Lamas via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 4:33
• Santiago Ponzinibbio def. Mike Perry via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Glover Teixeira def. Misha Cirkunov via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 2:45
• Jan Blachowicz def. Jared Cannonier via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Julian Marquez def. Darren Stewart via technical submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 2:42
• Nordine Taleb def. Danny Roberts via knockout (strikes) – Round 1, 0:59
• John Makdessi def. Abel Trujillo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Alessio Di Chirico def. Oluwale Bamgbose via knockout (knee) – Round 2, 2:14
• Jordan Mein def. Erick Silva via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

For complete coverage of UFC on FOX 26, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

(MMAjunkie’s Mike Bohn and Ken Hathaway contributed to this report on site in Winnipeg.)