Athletes
Fights To Watch Before UFC Rochester
Look Back At Eight Stand-Out Fights From The Stars Of UFC Rochester
On Saturday UFC the Octagon will touch down in Rochester, New York for the first time. In the main event former lightweight champion turned welterweight title contender Rafael dos Anjos is set to welcome Kevin “The Mo Town Phenom” Lee to the division.
Dos Anjos is coming off of back-to-back decision losses to Colby Covington and new champion Kamaru Usman and is looking to get back to his winning ways. Before dropping both of those contests, Dos Anjos defeated Neil Magny and Robbie Lawler putting him among the welterweight elite.
Lee, who is just 26 years old, had great success at lightweight before deciding to move up to welterweight. Lee put together a five fight win-streak on his way to an interim title shot against Tony Ferguson. It was always a tough weight cut for Lee to make 155lbs, so it should be interesting to see a healthier more energized Lee now that he is at welterweight.
Get ready for UFC Rochester by watching the past performances of some of the cards biggest stars and prospects. Watch the collection here: https://www.ufc.tv/category/ufc-rochester-fights-to-watch
Rafeal dos Anjos vs Robbie Lawler
UFC Winnepeg – December 16, 2017
The fight fans of Canada were in for a treat with this one. A battle of former champions is always interesting, but a battle of two fighters with the explosiveness and determination of Rafael dos Anjos and Robbie Lawler is rare.
Kevin Lee vs Edson Barboza
UFC Atlantic City – April 21, 2018
The main event of UFC Atlantic City did not disappoint, as the incredible striking of Edson Barboza created fireworks with the well-rounded powerful Kevin Lee. It was an important fight for Lee, who was coming off his interim title defeat to Tony Ferguson. And despite some close calls against Barboza, Lee was able to secure an impressive victory.
Vicente Luque vs Jalin Turner
UFC Pheonix – February 17, 2019
Vicente Luque has been a dark horse in the welterweight division for some time, and with good reason. Luque’s relentless attack, power and striking was on display when he faced the lengthy-explosive Jalin Turner at UFC 229.
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Antonio Carlos Junior vs Jack Marshman
UFC Sao Paulo – October 28, 2017
From heavyweight down to middleweight, Antonio Carlos Junior has impressed each step along the way. Against a bruiser like Jack Marshman, “Cara de Sapato” would have to dig down and find a way to break Marshamn. And he was able to do just that in-front of his home country at UFC Sao Paulo.
Megan Anderson vs Cat Zingano
UFC 232 – December 29, 2018
After making her UFC debut against former UFC bantamweight champion Holly Holm, Megan Anderson needed to bounce-back in a big way. And despite her UFC 232 match with Cat Zingano ending in unfortunate circumstances, Anderson looked as good as we have ever seen her leading up the TKO stoppage.
Charles Oliveira vs Jim Miller
UFC Sao Paulo – September 22, 2018
“Do Bronx” entered UFC Sao Paulo needing one more submission to own the record for the most submission victories in UFC history and even though Jim Miller knew Charles Oliveira would be looking for the record, it wasn’t enough to stop it Oliveira from securing a rear-naked choke for the win.
Aspen Ladd vs Tonya Evinger
UFC 229 – October 6, 2018
If you’re looking for a vicious fighter who is equal parts technical and devastating, Aspen Ladd might be the fighter for you. Ladd is a beast who is undefeated for a reason, veteran Tonya Evinger found that out the hard way.
Sijara Eubanks vs Roxanne Modafferi
UFC 230 – November 3, 2018
Fighting a crafty veteran like Roxanne Modafferi isn’t easy, but it was something that Sijara Eubanks was more than ready to handle. Eubanks displayed her quality striking and her powerful ground and pound en route to a unanimous decision victory in Madison Square Garden.
Watch the collection here: https://www.ufc.tv/category/ufc-rochester-fights-to-watch
Tune into UFC Rochester Saturday at 5pm/2pm ETPT for the ESPN+ prelims. The UFC Rochester main card will start at 8pm/5pm ETPT.
Gavin Porter is a digital producer and writer for UFC.com, follow him on Twitter at @PorterUFCNews
