RDA makes a statement on Kevin Lee
Kevin Lee (17-5) faced a tough challenge for his Welterweight debut in the UFC against a determined Rafael Dos Anjos (29-11). Both athletes competed at Lightweight, but have now made the move to the 170lbs division for their future.
The fight proved RDA to be more of a veteran, leveraging the weight differential and duration of the bout to grind out the victory. It was apparent early on that Lee was out of his depth in terms of pacing. RDA took advantage of this and eventually won by submission in the 4th round.
Dos Anjos needed this victory to cement a case for him in the Welterweight division. After storming through his first three fights in the weight class, including a win over Robbie Lawler, he found himself on a two loss streak heading into Saturday night. These two losses were at the hands of the Welterweight champion and recent interim champion. This dampens the title hopes for RDA, but the performance displayed against the ''Motown Phenom'' makes a strong statement of his talents.
There are many options for RDA looking to the future. The MMA community are in unison, however, in wanting to see Santiago Ponzinibbio share the octagon next.
On the other hand, Kevin Lee jumped up a weight division after a run of bad form at 155lbs. He was handed defeats by the likes of Tony Ferguson and Al Iaquinta, meaning that a new chapter made the most sense. Although, time is on his side at the young age of 26. Lee released a statement after the loss in Rochester, New York.