UFC Fight Night 183 Results: Rafael dos Anjos Beats Paul Felder via Decision

Rafael dos Anjos is back to being a threat in the lightweight division with a split-decision win over Paul Felder in the main event of UFC Fight Night 183 from the Apex Facility in Las Vegas.  

Both fighters got to show a little of what they wanted to do in the first frame. 

It didn't take long for RDA to get the fight to the ground. After trading some body kicks, the Brazilian got Felder down to the mat and forced him to work his way to the feet. Felder was able to oblige and get back to kickboxing range where he bloodied his opponent's eye with a left hand. 

Felder's inability to create space became a bigger issue as the fight wore on. Both had their moments when they exchanged on the feet, but RDA was able to go back to his wrestling often and pin Felder against the cage. 

Those rules of engagement would continue into the late rounds. Felder was able to do some things and looked quick when there was space, but those times were few and far between. Dos Anjos was in control for the vast majority of the fight. 

For Felder, the defeat doesn't do much to hurt his positioning in the division. He was originally set to be a commentator for the night but was called to step in on less than a week notice when Islam Makhachev was forced off the card with an injury. 

Somehow one judge saw the fight for Felder, but two of the judges saw it as a clean sweep for the former lightweight champion. 

For Dos Anjos, this is a return to the division that he once ruled after a prolonged stay at welterweight. He reminded people just how difficult he can be with his power-wrestling at the lighter weight. 

Here's a look at how the rest of the night went down:

Main Card

• Rafael dos Anjos def. Paul Felder via unanimous decision (50-45 x3)
• Khaos Williams def. Abdul Razak Alhassan via KO at :30 of round 1
• Ashley Yoder def. Miranda Granger via unanimous decision (30-26, 29-27, 29-27)
• Sean Strickland def. Brendan Allen via TKO at 1:32 of round 2
• Cory McKenna def. Kay Hansen via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Prelims

• Kanako Murata def. Randa Markos via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
• Tony Gravely def. Geraldo de Freitas via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
• Alex Morono def. Rhys McKee via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
• Don’Tale Mayes def. Roque Martinez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Khaos Williams def. Abdul Razak Alhassan

This card was just humming along with six decisions in seven fights when Khaos Williams decided that fans should see at least one fight that didn't make it beyond the first round. Or the first minute for that matter. 

Williams took just 30 seconds to notch his second win with a lightning-fast right hand that instantly sent Alhassan to sleep. 

The 26-year-old now has two UFC wins in a total of 57 seconds. He knocked out Alex Morono in 27 seconds in his debut. 

Alhassan has some power in his own right with four first-round finishes in the UFC. Unfortunately for him, Williams was quicker on the draw Saturday night. The welterweight should have the division feeling a little nervous they're gonna get the call to face him next. 

Ashley Yoder def. Miranda Granger

Ashley Yoder desperately needed a win after back-to-back losses moved her record to 7-6. Fortunately for her, her bounce-back game was strong against Miranda Granger. 

Yoder put in a good performance against an opponent in Granger, who was looking to avenge her first career loss. The strength of Yoder's game was her grappling as she put "Danger" in position to get submitted multiple times, including a choke attempt that likely would have ended the fight if it weren't for the final horn. 

It didn't end up affecting the end result, though. Yoder's superior grappling and ground-and-pound were the difference in the fight and likely kept her within the UFC's good graces. 

She'll need to continue to prove she can impose her will on the ground to keep her job and potentially move up the rankings. 

Sean Strickland def. Brendan Allen

Sean Strickland is making up for lost time in the cage, and that turned out to be bad news for Brendan Allen. The 29-year-old scored his second win in two weeks with a beautiful second-round TKO. 

Strickland was forced to sit out of fighting for two years while recovering from injuries sustained in a car accident. But he became just the fourth fighter in UFC history to win two fights within 14 days by stepping in on short notice to take this bout. 

The first round featured plenty of boxing between the two middleweights, but Strickland's job carried the round for him. In the second, that jab paved the road for an even more aggressive approach. Once he scored the knockdown it was all blood in the water. 

Strickland moved up to middleweight after the long layoff and while this fight was fought at 195 pounds, it looks like he could be a threat in his new division if he's able to make the weight with a full fight camp.  

Cory McKenna def. Kay Hansen

In a battle between two 21-year-old prospects, it was Cory McKenna who came out victorious in a razor-thin unanimous decision. 

The fight is one of the youngest in UFC history in terms of combined age as both Hansen and McKenna are rather green when it comes to action in the organization. Both have shown promise, but it was McKenna's volume that carried the day. 

According to ESPN's numbers, the Welshwoman threw 115 more strikes than her counterpart in a fight that featured both grappling and striking sequences.

Hansen showcased the submission game that has made her a dangerous fighter this early in her career, but a failed armbar attempt in the second round opened up the fight for McKenna, who was game to take advantage. 

McKenna is now 1-0 in the UFC after a decision win on Dana White's Contender Series.