Anthony Pettis vs. Rafael Dos Anjos: What We Learned from UFC 185 Title Fight
A new champ has been crowned.
After putting forth one of the more impressive performances in recent Octagon history, Rafael dos Anjos outclassed and outshined Anthony Pettis at UFC 185.
His dominant efforts on the feet, in the clinch and on the ground resulted in one of the more shocking title upsets in the history of the UFC.
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He simply proved too much for a champion renowned as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet.
Here is what we learned from Saturday's memorable title scrap and dos Anjos capturing the UFC lightweight title via unanimous decision.
What We'll Remember About This Fight
Dos Anjos did what he needed to do in order to take Pettis out of his game and force him to fight dirty.
By sticking to the champ like glue through the fight's entirety, RDA's relentless pressure created a whirlwind of trouble for Showtime.
He connected close, attacked from distance, shot for takedowns with high success and powered through anything the champ had to offer
This is a fight that we'll remember for a long time and one that could possibly tarnish the legacy of Pettis and his once-untouchable aura.
What We Learned About Pettis
Whether Pettis took this fight lightly or not, we'll never know.
As a true champion and a guy who always finishes on top, it would seem as if Pettis didn't expect a few things that dos Anjos threw his way.
It did look like RDA damaged Pettis' eye early in the first round, but that's no excuse to get taken down nine times and fall behind on strikes 90-54.
Saturday night was proof that nobody is perfect, and Pettis has a long way to go to becoming the best fighter in the world, especially when it comes to finding an early groove.
What We Learned About Dos Anjos
Spectacular. Punishing. Captivating.
These are just a few words that come to mind when thinking about the beating that dos Anjos put on Pettis at UFC 185.
He took one of the best strikers in the world to the woodchipper and left nothing on the bone.
From perfectly timed takedowns to scintillating combinations in close quarters, the new lightweight kingpin made all the right moves.
We need to take notice of this performance and understand even further that the 155-pound division is full of dangerous, battle-tested warriors.
What's Next for Pettis
At 28 years of age, Pettis may not even be in his prime.
This obviously is not the type of performance you want to build a legacy off of, but Showtime remains one of the most skilled competitors in the sport today.
When healthy, he's capable of beating any opponent the lightweight division has to offer, including new titleholder dos Anjos.
An immediate rematch is unlikely to take place considering Donald Cerrone and Khabib Nurmagomedov will fight for No. 1 contention at UFC 187 in May, leaving Pettis to drop back down the ladder and look for a win elsewhere.
The most sensible choice for the former champ would have to be Michael "The Menace" Johnson.
What's Next for Dos Anjos
Hopefully, dos Anjos is able to remain healthy in order to showcase the near-perfect skill set that he did at UFC 185.
As the new face of the division, the 30-year-old Brazilian should be willing to fight any challenger brave enough to reach into his cage.
But considering Nurmagomedov defeated RDA early last year, you'd have to believe dos Anjos has some unsettled business with the undefeated Russian.
The deepest and most intriguing division in all of MMA just got a little crazier.
For more UFC news and coverage, follow @DHiergesell.
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