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Former UFC lightweight champion turned welterweight contender Rafael dos Anjos was in desperate need of a victory.
After coming up short to former interim champion Colby Covington and current champion Kamaru Usman, the Brazilian was on a mission to prove he still belonged among the best at 170 pounds. But across from him inside the Octagon at UFC Rochester stood Kevin Lee, another former lightweight looking to find new life at welterweight.
While dos Anjos and Lee went to war for nearly four rounds, the veteran in dos Anjos shone bright as he locked on a deep arm triangle, forcing Lee to tap.
Check out the reaction to dos Anjos’ victory below, plus the best of the rest from an action-packed card inside Blue Cross Arena.
Rafael dos Anjos def. Kevin Lee
Lee still fairly young. Did some good things but fought at a exhausting pace for anyone and it cost him. RDA back in the win column with a big finish and showed he’s still among the elite circle. That circle is full of killers at 155 or 170 lbs#UFCRochester
— Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMaster_UFC) May 19, 2019
Caramba, vitória espetacular do Rafael dos Anjos
— Junior Dos Santos ️➕ (@junior_cigano) May 19, 2019
Congrats @RdosAnjosMMA
— Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) May 19, 2019
Wow that was a grind, congrats to RDA for a hard fought victory! #UFCRochester
— Angela Hill (@AngieOverkill) May 19, 2019
Grueling fight between Lee & Dos Anjos ! #UFCRochester
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) May 19, 2019
Beautiful display of MMA and heart from both these guys. Amazing fight. @ufc @RdosAnjosMMA @MoTownPhenom
— Kyle Bochniak UFC (@KyleBochniak) May 19, 2019
Good fight that missed takedown broke him more than the arm triangle did
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) May 19, 2019
Wow grueling fight, lee seemed to have just collapsed after that takedown fail and rda took full advantage. Great win
— Brian Kelleher (@brianboom135) May 19, 2019
Beautiful performance @RdosAnjosMMA @ufc
— Lando Vannata (@GroovyLando) May 19, 2019
Good fight @RdosAnjosMMA I look forward to earning a fight with you one day #Oss
— Platinum Mike Perry (@PlatinumPerry) May 19, 2019
Kevin Lee is tough fighter...for 1,5 round only
— Makhachev Islam (@MAKHACHEVMMA) May 19, 2019
What a welterweight scrap. Those 5rd fights are not a game. Congrats to @RdosAnjosMMA on the performance #UFCRochester
— Max Griffin (@maxPAINmma) May 19, 2019
So happy RDA won that fight! Helluva performance...@ufc #UFCRochester #ESPNplus
— Austin Arnett (@AustinArnettMMA) May 19, 2019
Ian Heinisch def. Antonio Carlos Junior
This is a dog fight #UFCRochester
— Jordan Johnson (@doublejmma) May 19, 2019
Draw
— Platinum Mike Perry (@PlatinumPerry) May 19, 2019
Way to beat a ranked guy @ianheinischmma #UFCRochester https://t.co/9IipLnaMPi
— Max Griffin (@maxPAINmma) May 19, 2019
It’s hurricane season!!! Hell yessssss @ianheinischmma congratulations brother! https://t.co/AFjuPBwJCQ
— Court McGee (@Court_McGee) May 19, 2019
Felicia Spencer def. Megan Anderson
I knew that was what was going to happen. Congrats @FeeNom479
— Amanda Nunes (@Amanda_Leoa) May 19, 2019
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah, @FeeNom479! #UFCRochester
— Gentleman Jack Gallagher (@GentlemanJackG) May 19, 2019
Yoooo! Underdog outta nowhere! #UFCRochester
— Angela Hill (@AngieOverkill) May 19, 2019
Underdog for the dub #UFCRochester
— Max Griffin (@maxPAINmma) May 19, 2019
Vicente Luque def. Derrick Krantz
Damn. #UFCRochester
— Mike Jackson, Esq. (@TheTruthJackson) May 19, 2019
Krantz blew his load early and Vincent had great composure. Good fight.
— Chris Weidman (@chrisweidman) May 19, 2019
Charles Oliveira def. Nik Lentz
That was violent. #UFCRochester
— Mike Jackson, Esq. (@TheTruthJackson) May 19, 2019
Wow that was a crisp shot by Olivera!
— Chris Weidman (@chrisweidman) May 19, 2019
Olivera is a bad man!
— Vinc Pichel (@FromHellPichel) May 19, 2019
Quadrilogy match at 145? #UFCRochester
— Angela Hill (@AngieOverkill) May 19, 2019
Davi Ramos def. Austin Hubbard
— Mike Jackson, Esq. (@TheTruthJackson) May 19, 2019
That was some killer punches from the back
— Sam Alvey (@smilensam) May 19, 2019
Ramos rolled his ankle bad in the second. If Hubbard went after calf kicks in this third, it would be a game changer....buuuut ♂️
— Lando Vannata (@GroovyLando) May 19, 2019
That was a fun fight
— Sam Alvey (@smilensam) May 19, 2019
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