Cover Photo: Michael Owens/Zuffa LLC / Contributor (Getty Images)
Rafael dos Anjos stands at the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s gate to the welterweight elite as another prospective contender knocks at the door. Dos Anjos will take on former British Association of Mixed Martial Arts champion Leon Edwards in the UFC on ESPN 4 headliner this Saturday at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. Meanwhile, Russian submission savant Alexey Oleynik collides with Walt Harris in the three-round heavyweight co-main event.
The 34-year-old dos Anjos has compiled a 4-2 record since moving to 170 pounds in 2017, with wins over Tarec Saffiedine, Neil Magny, Robbie Lawler, and Kevin Lee sandwiched around losses to Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington. A staple of the UFC roster for more than a decade, the Brazilian ranks seventh on the promotion’s all-time list in victories (18) and ninth in appearances (27). Dos Anjos last competed at UFC Fight Night 152, where he submitted Lee with a fourth-round rear-naked choke on May 18.
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Rafael dos Anjos punches Kevin Lee. Photo: Michael Owens/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC (Getty Images)
Edwards, 27, finds himself on a seven-fight winning streak and in position to make some serious noise in the welterweight division. He last appeared at UFC Fight Night 147 in March, when he walked away with a split decision over Gunnar Nelson. Victories over Donald Cerrone, Vicente Luque and Albert Tumenov anchor the stellar Edwards resume.
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Leon Edwards kicks Gunnar Nelson. Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC (Getty Images)
UFC on ESPN 4—which airs live on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT—will also feature a lightweight clash pairing James Vick with Dan Hooker, a heavyweight tilt pitting Greg Hardy against Juan Adams, a lightweight battle matching Alexander Hernandez with Francisco Trinaldo and a heavyweight rematch slotting Andrei Arlovski opposite Ben Rothwell. ESPN will carry the entire seven-fight undercard at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.
