Two high-profile matchups have been declared for upcoming fight cards, and my first thoughts on both are under.
Kevin Lee vs. Rafael dos Anjos, UFC Fight Night 151
Kevin Lee is done with lightweight as he will move up to welterweight and choose on former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in the primary event of UFC Fight Night 151. The event is set for May 18 at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York.
Lee (17-4) is 10-4 at the UFC with all his previous bouts taking place at lightweight. After losing a decision to Al Iaquinta in his last bout, Lee hinted that he would be moving up a weight class as at age 26 he’s grown out of his lightweight frame. Though he won’t have the size advantage he did down in 155lbs, with his caliber wrestling abilities and improved striking Lee should still be a solid contender at 170lbs, an the UFC is throwing him into the flame in his divisional debut against a former title challenger in dos Anjos.
Dos Anjos (28-11) is 17-9 at the UFC and has proven to be equally an elite lightweight and welterweight. But at age 34, he’s finally showing signs of a decline with consecutive decision losses to Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington. Losing to those fighters on paper is not a huge deal, but the Usman struggle was a blowout and it’s possible all the harm has really taken it’s toll on him now. However, I’d give RDA a fantastic chance to beat Lee in this battle. With Lee’s fame and childhood benefit I expect him to be put as a decently-sized favored, making RDA an intriguing dog play if that’s really the case.
Luke Rockhold vs. Jan Blachowicz, UFC 239
The first bout added to UFC 239 is a good one, as former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold will proceed up to light heavyweight to shoot on Jan Blachowicz. The card occurs July 6 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto broke news of this bout.
Rockhold (16-4) is 6-3 overall in the UFC, with all his past spells coming in middleweight. He hasn’t competed because a KO loss to Yoel Romero at UFC 221 in February 2018, and his final victory was a TKO win over David Branch in September 2017. Despite the lengthy layoff, Rockhold remains an extremely interesting addition to the UFC light heavyweight division. It wasn’t that long ago when Rockhold was the best middleweight in the world when he won five straight struggles by ending from the UFC over Michael Bisping, Chris Weidman, Lyoto Machida, Costa Philippou and Tim Boetsch. His shocking KO loss to Bisping from the group rematch at June 2016 will return among the sport’s biggest all-time upsets and Rockhold has really struggled since then. On the other hand, the thought procedure is that his chin ought to be sturdier moving up a weight class, though that remains to be seen.
Blachowicz (23-8) is 6-5 in the UFC and also was pumped out by Thiago Santos in an expected light heavyweight title eliminator. Prior to that, Blachowicz had won four straight struggles by stoppage and was looking like a title contender. The reduction to Santos reveals his true place in the branch, as a luxury gatekeeper who isn’t quite ready to battle for the belt. That’s why this is good matchmaking by the UFC. Blachowicz is highly ranked yet beatable, so there’s a good chance Rockhold beats him and takes his spot from the top-five, making him an instant contender for UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones if this occurs. Look for Rockhold for a solid favorite heading into this particular bout.
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