Will Lawler Crush Dos Anjos?

The main event of UFC on FOX 26 is certain to be exhilarating.

Matched against each other in a brilliant welterweight contest, Robbie Lawler will face Rafael dos Anjos. Having tasted UFC gold earlier in their careers, Lawler and dos Anjos are now attempting to claw their way back to the top.

Robbie Lawler

Record: 28-11
Height: 5’11” (181cm)
Reach: 74.0″ (188cm)

Don’t be fooled into thinking that Robbie Lawler is experiencing any sort of career decline at the age of 35. “Ruthless” dominated Donald Cerrone at UFC 214 in his most recent contest before winning a unanimous decision. The win helped Lawler back into the winning column after he suffered a stunning KO defeat to Tyron Woodley back at UFC 201.

It’s important to note, though, that Lawler’s loss to Woodley is the only defeat he has experienced in his last seven bouts. Yes, that includes fights against the likes of Rory MacDonald, Johny Hendricks, Carlos Condit and Matt Brown.

Robbie Lawler is still as “Ruthless” as ever.

Rafael dos Anjos

Record: 27-9
Height: 5’9″ (175cm)
Reach: 71.0″ (180cm)

Rafael dos Anjos has been tearing apart the welterweight division since arriving earlier this year. After struggling to make weight in the 155 lbs division, dos Anjos decided to move up and test his abilities in the more powerful weight class.

His decision has been a beneficial one. Dos Anjos topped Tarec Saffiedine at UFC Fight Night 111 in Singapore before submitting Neil Magny at UFC 215 just recently.

Fight Breakdown

Although Rafael dos Anjos’ performance against Neil Magny was extremely dominant, we didn’t learn anything new.

While the grappling was outstanding, it wasn’t because dos Anjos shot in for a takedown. Instead, a heavy leg kick dropped Magny to the ground in the opening moments. Dos Anjos pounced and controlled Magny on the mat with ease before submitting him with an arm-triangle late in the first round.

Additionally, it’s difficult to gain an understanding of Robbie Lawler right now after his performance against Donald Cerrone. Lawler’s first round was as “Ruthless” as they come, and managed to cleanly tag Cerrone many times. However, he managed to let “Cowboy” back into the fight as the fight progressed and was never able to finish him.

This fight will simply come down to whether Rafael dos Anjos can handle the massive power of Lawler. Lawler hits as hard as anyone in the welterweight division and dos Anjos’ chin will be tested.

But ultimately, Lawler might still be a small level dos Anjos right now. Yes, “RDA” is a very talented fighter and one of the most dangerous across the whole welterweight division but Lawler is still elite.

Prediction and Betting Guide

People are leaning “RDA” because of his dominance on the mat against Magny. Lawler’s not going to fall down because of a leg kick and he will keep it standing and pound away at dos Anjos.

Prediction: Robbie Lawler by KO/TKO – Round 2

Best Bet

Robbie Lawler vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Robbie Lawler to Win
Saturday, December 16 – 10:00 pm (ET) /  3:00am (GMT)
Odds: 1.91Bet €100 to win €19191/100Bet £100 to win £191-110Bet $100 to win $1910.91Bet HK$100 to win HK$191-1.10Bet Rp100 to win Rp1910.9100Bet RM100 to win RM191  – BetOnline