RAFAEL DOS ANJOS is still the UFC lightweight champion after he took just over a minute to dispose of Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone tonight in Orlando.
In what was a rematch of their 2013 bout, which dos Anjos won via decision, the Brazilian didn’t need the help of the judges on this occasion.
Dos Anjos, who was defending the belt for the first time since dethroning Anthony Pettis back in March, hurt Cerrone with a kick to the body before unloading a flurry of punches.
Cerrone managed to survive the onslaught before lazily shooting for a takedown. But that was easily scuffed by dos Anjos, who took his opponent’s back and landed strikes until referee Herb Dean stepped in to bring Cerrone’s eight-fight win streak to an end.
The result could set up a title defence for dos Anjos against newly-crowned featherweight champion Conor McGregor, with McGregor’s coach John Kavanagh writing on Friday in his column here on The42 that the Irish star is set to fight for the lightweight belt in April.
Dos Anjos’ win over Cerrone was the fastest lightweight title fight in UFC history, and the champion had a message for Conor McGregor when he spoke to Joe Rogan for his post-fight interview:
“Hey, Mr McGregor! If you want to come to the lightweight division, this is my division. You better stay in the featherweight division. I’ll fight you in Brazil, I’ll go to Ireland and face you there, wherever you want. I’m here to say.”
In the co-main event, Alistair Overeem strengthened his claims for a heavyweight title shot by picking up his third consecutive win courtesy of a second-round TKO of former champion Junior dos Santos, who protested to referee Dan Miragliotta over what he felt was an early stoppage.
Elsewhere on the main card, Nate Diaz returned after a year-long lay-off to defeat Michael Johnson, and Polish strawweight Karolina Kowalkiewicz looked impressive in her UFC debut as she overcame Randa Markos.
UFC Orlando results
- Rafael dos Anjos def. Donald Cerrone via TKO (punches) after 1:06 of round one
- Alistair Overeem def. Junior dos Santos via TKO (punches) after 4:43 of round two
- Nate Diaz def. Michael Johnson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Karolina Kowalkiewicz def. Randa Markos via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Charles Oliveira def. Myles Jury via submission (guillotine choke) after 3:05 of round one
- Nate Marquardt def. CB Dollaway via KO (punch) after 0:28 of round two
- Valentina Shevchenko def. Sarah Kaufman via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
- Tamdan McCrory def. Josh Samman via submission (triangle choke) after 4:10 of round three
- Nik Lentz def. Danny Castillo via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
- Cole Miller vs. Jim Alers — no contest (accidental eye poke by Alers) after 1:44 of round two
- Kamaru Usman def. Leon Edwards via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
- Vicente Luque def. Hayder Hassan via technical submission (anaconda choke) after 2:13 of round one
- Francis Ngannou def. Luis Henrique via KO (punch) after 2:53 of round two
This is a brilliant camogie match
Well my issue is the Cork goal was a free out ,she threw it into the net ,attempted to strike but missed and the ball ended up in the net from her hand …
@Gerry Campbell: really difficult to see in real time.
@WqM9AAv3: True ,I’m just thick now ,I’ll be grand in a bit .
@Gerry Campbell: You’d be entitled to be a bit upset if you’re a Galway man, big disappointments this year.
@Michael Burke: Ah I’m over it Michael ,small stuff in fairness with all that’s going on in the world ..
Comments closed due to not being allowed to say anything critical about Israel. Thank you The Journal
@Stanley darsh: Whydo Irish people only care about Israel? Ye stay silent about all the other atrocities happening but are constantly talking about Israel?
@Stanley darsh: the hamas fellas were hiding in the school, always using the people as a shield. The people were also well aware hamas were around.
@tbEE5DMm: yeah it’s not fair that Gaza is the only genocide getting attention. Why isn’t anyone paying attention to other massacres around the world. I guess it’s the Anti Semitism which is on the rise all over the world for some reason.
@Sean Money: Yeah also Hamas forced the Israeli soldiers to R*** the Palestinian Prisoners is the Israeli jails.
@Sean Money: Hamas also made the Israeli soldiers commit a Seckual a$sault against the Palestinian prisoners.
@tbEE5DMm: unfortunately Tom the tv told them to
@tbEE5DMm: why does Tom Walsh only care about all the other atrocities and not Israel’s one
@anthony davoren: I care about all of them
@tbEE5DMm: who cares about Palestine or Israel. doesn’t affect us one bit. no respect for armchair humanitarian. if you really care, go out there and support them.
@Sean Money: How do you know that the people were aware that Hamas were amongst them? You’re inferring that the victims are in some way responsible for being slaughtered. Given that Gaza has been flattened, that huge numbers of Palestinians have been forcibly removed from their homes and that there are so many no go areas for the Palestinian population what exactly do you suggest that those innocent victims should have done?
Well done Cork banks of the lee