As expected this was a close fight at ‘UFC On FX 8’ with Rafael Dos Anjos eventually just edging Evan Dunham on the judges scorecards after three competitive rounds of action in Brazil.
Snapping leg kick from Dos Anjos to start his one. He tries to work up stairs with another kick that’s blocked. Dos Anjos looking a bit quicker in these early exchanges as he lands a nice little combinations of punches with a kick.
Dunham looking to work in some punches, but having a little difficulty finding his mark as Dos Anjos uses speedy movement.
Finally a solid punch lands for Dunham, but Dos Anjos returns fire well. Dunham tries with a few head kicks, but only swats thin-air.
Dos Anjos attempts a leg kick, but Dunham catches it and uses it to take his opponent to the mat and drops into his full guard. Dos Anjos doing well from the bottom, landing a few elbows and controlling Dunham’s arms so he can’t get much offense off himself.
With Dunham pretty much locked down the ref decides to stand them up and the round ends with the two looking to trade strikes on the feet.
They trade a few punches toe-to-toe early in the second round, but not much lands. Then Dunham swoops for a takedown, and gets it, but only for a second.
They start to strike again and Dos Anjos lands a solid body shot. He presses Dunham up against the cage looking for a takedown, but Dunham fights him off.
Dunham trying to uses punches from range, but Dos Anjos gets in and lands the better shots. He goes for a head kick that’s just blocked by Dunham.
Couple of straight punches from Dunham and then theres a little clash of heads which leaves Dos Anjos with a slight cut to his right eye.
More blows trading and Dunham’s being the aggressor and landing the better volume of strikes now, though Dos Anjos blows are more significant when he does choose to let his hands go.
Dunham finding his groove and bursts forward with a big knee to the midsection, then in the closing 10 seconds of the round secured a takedown.
Onto the final round then and Dunham looks to push the pace and back Dos Anjos up with his punches. Dos Anjos landing hooks nicely on the counter though.
Dunham looking for a takedown, but has to settle for clinching up against the cage before they break apart.
Body kick from Dos Anjos and soon after a leg kick. Another little exchange of punches and then another solid body kick from the Brazilian.
Dos Anjos tries to land a flying knee that just misses, but follows up with a few punches that lands, though Dunham then pushes him back with a few punches of his own.
Dunham continuing to be the one initiating most of the exchanges and a few of his shots are getting through so that looks good for him if this goes to the judges, though Dos Anjos is still picking his strikes nicely on the counter.
Dunham clinches up and lands a few blows. Into the final minute and they start to pick up the pace and swing for the fences. It’s pretty even stuff, though Dunham does land a few solid punches just before the bell.
Close fight then and it’s down to the judges scorecards. They see it as a unanimous decision victory in Dos Anjos favor (29-28 x3).
