UFC: Rafael Dos Anjos takes the win but Paul Felder’s heroics steal the show

Rafael dos Anjos won the fight but hearts everywhere went out to Paul Felder after the headline event at UFC Vegas 14 Sunday.

The American’s fairy tale quest for victory on just five day’s notice fell short at the UFC’s Apex arena in Las Vegas as Brazilian former lightweight champ Dos Anjos returned to his very best, with a split decision victory.

But there were no complaints, outside one questionable call for Felder (17-6) on the judges’ cards. They bizarrely read 50-45, 50-45, 47-48 but shouldn’t have read anything else but all five rounds comfortably for Dos Anjos (30-13).

After shaking his head at the thought of the war (and Fight of the Night) that he had just been put through, Do Anjos focused his attention on a call out of another former champ in Irishman Conor McGregor (22-4).

“If Khabib [Nurmagomedov] is really retired it would leave the division wide open. If you look to the contenders, me and Conor are the only real champions in the division,” the 36-year-old Do Anjos said in his post-fight interview.

“Everybody else is an interim champion. So if the division is open, I think me and Conor is the fight to make.”

It may well happen, at some stage, what with McGregor down to face American Dustin Poirier (26-6, one no contest) in January, and Do Anjos looking so comfortable in a division he had ruled across 2015-16 before trying his luck up among the welterweights.

But let’s talk for now about what was just witnessed, and a final round that saw Felder a bloody mess, having been sliced by a Dos Anjos left cross that brushed his forehead in the first, before a heavy right opened the mess up fully in the fourth. But, still, there was no stopping him.

This came was from a 36-year-old who admitted afterwards he’d not stepped inside an MMA gym for four months, until the call came to replace Russian Islam Makhachev (18-1) five days ago. Felder had also shed 22 pounds in four days.

But he kept coming at Dos Anjos, and he kept trying to find ways to avoid the takedowns and the holds from which the Brazilian has carved out his career. In the end, though, there was no escape for Felder.

“When you step into a fight and you have nothing to lose, it makes it harder for your opponent,” said Dos Anjos. “I had a lot on the line. But hats off to Paul Felder for jumping in and we had a great fight for the fans.

“I’m not too happy with my performance, my first fight back in the lightweight division. I have more adjustments to make.”

Felder – flirting with retirement and training for a triathlon – had swapped the commentary booth for the cage when he heard an undisclosed injury forced Makhachev out of what would have been his first main event this weekend.

Felder’s pre-fight promotional video saw him explaining the week – and the fight – would be about “bigger things than just fighting” as he sported a mean tash as part of the annual Movember male cancer awareness push.

The Philadelphia-born fighter lost his own father Tom to pancreatic cancer in 2017 – just when his son’s career in the cage was taking off – and Felder said he had felt his father’s presence in Las Vegas all week.

He was inspired from the outset as a leaner Dos Anjos came at him from the first bell. There was a fierce exchange then, and Dos Anjos was quickly looking for a takedown.

In the end there were six across the five rounds for the Brazilian and around 14 minutes spent in control. The damage on Felder’s face afterwards showed while the significant strike count was close (98 to 92 for the American) the ones landed by Dos Anjos had done what was necessary.

But still Felder wanted more.

“I got a little tired there in the fifth,” said Felder. “We just had a five-round battle. You’re only given a few of these opportunities to shine and make a statement. I just hope the UFC is proud of me and happy. This was for my dad, this was for my family. I lost my passion for this sport pretty bad. I can tell you I’m not done.”

The co-main event left the UFC Apex arena stunned into silence when Kalinn “Khaos” Williams (11-1) took 30 seconds, and then used a straight right hand to send Ghana’s Abdul Razak Alhassan (10-2) to the canvas as stiff as a board. Little wonder they call that one the death punch.

The knockout means the American is now 2-0 in the UFC, and he’s spent less than one minute inside the Octagon doing just that, after opening his account with a 27-second KO of American Alex Morono (18-6) back in February.

“It’s not personal, it’s punishment,” explained the 26-year-old Williams afterwards. “Star in the making, man. I’m here. People are gunna keep sleep on me and the doctor’s gunna wake them up.”

Welterweights beware.