Following a report from Democrat and Chronicle, the UFC has confirmed that a welterweight bout between former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos and former interim lightweight title challenger Kevin Lee has been set to headline an upcoming UFC Fight Night card.
The event will be broadcasted live on ESPN+ from the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York on May 18.
Rafael dos Anjos
Following three straight victories in 2014, dos Anjos earned a shot at then 155-pound champion Anthony Pettis. At UFC 185 in March 2015, the Brazilian dominated Pettis to become the undisputed titleholder. He then defended the strap once with a TKO victory over Donald Cerrone in December 2015.
Following a stoppage loss to Eddie Alvarez and a decision loss to Tony Ferguson, dos Anjos decided to move up to 170 pounds in 2017.
No longer having to endure a tough weight cut, the 34-year-old put together three consecutive wins over Tarec Saffiedine, Neil Magny and Robbie Lawler. He then took on Colby Covington for the interim title last June but dropped a unanimous decision.
Most recently, dos Anjos came up short against current 170-pound champion Kamaru Usman last November.
Kevin Lee
Lee, known as “The Motown Phenom,” gained recognition by winning five straight fights at 155 pounds in 2016-17. That streak earned him an interim title shot against Ferguson in October 2017, but he was submitted in the third round.
Following the loss to Ferguson, Lee scored a one-sided victory over Edson Barboza before falling to Al Iaquinta via decision in their rematch this past December.
Like dos Anjos, Lee has also gone through brutal weight cuts to make the lightweight limit. He’s often discussed his interest in the UFC creating a 165-pound division and will be making his welterweight debut in this fight.
The Card
As of now, the card is not yet finalized, though it does include the following bouts:
•Rafael dos Anjos vs. Kevin Lee
•Sijara Eubanks vs. Aspen Ladd
•Zak Cummings vs. Trevin Giles
•Grant Dawson vs. Mike Trizano
•Patrick Cummins vs. Ed Herman
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