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Rafael dos Anjos and Kevin Lee will fight at welterweight to headline UFC Fight Night 152 at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York, on Saturday.
Both the prelims (5 p.m. ET) and the main card (8 p.m. ET) will be exclusively on ESPN+, the digital streaming service from ESPN that has various live sports and a huge UFC on-demand library.
You can start a free seven-day trial of ESPN+ right here, and you can then watch a live stream of Dos Anjos vs Lee and all of the UFC Rochester fights on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone (Android and iPhone compatible), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the ESPN app.
Dos Anjos vs Lee Preview
Rafael dos Anjos held the UFC lightweight title from March 2015 to July 2016, supplanting Anthony Pettis via unanimous decision and defending the belt once by taking out Donald Cerrone in 66 seconds.
He then dropped two in a row, losing his title to Eddie Alvarez and falling to Max Ferguson four months later.
The Brazilian has since jumped up to welterweight, winning his first three fights in the division — against Tarec Saffiedine, Neil Magny, and Robbie Lawler — before losing to Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman.
Lee will be making his welterweight debut on Saturday.
“I make 170 now and question why could I make 155 before,” dos Anjos said, according to MMA Fighting. “My body changed over the years. I had my moment at lightweight, and I don’t think the weight class changes the outcome of this fight. It’s healthier for both of us now, but I’m already adapted to 170. He will feel the difference, it takes a while. It’s not something that happens overnight.
“People say you’re no longer cutting 15 pounds, but that’s 15 pounds more he will have to carry. I remember when I fought Tarec Saffiedine in Singapore and got tired after three rounds. I thought I wouldn’t get tired because I didn’t cut much weight, but it was quite the opposite. I took some time for me to make the adjustments, and now it’s 100 percent.”
The 34-year-old dos Anjos’ last three fights went the distance.
“I see myself putting pressure, imposing my game there,” he said, per MMA Fighting. “I know he will come strong and explosive early on, but I see many possibilities. I see myself knocking him out, submitting him. I don’t think it goes to the fifth round. I’m well-trained. I’ll dictate the rhythm and not let it go the distance.”
Lee had a 7-0 professional record when he joined the UFC. He won 11 of his first 13 fights with the promotion, but has dropped two of three since — falling to Tony Ferguson in a December 2017 bout for the interim lightweight title, besting Edson Barboza via doctor stoppage in a catchweight fight, then taking a decision loss against Al Iaquinta, to whom Lee lost in his first UFC fight in 2014.
“Casuals — you may know me. Hardcores — you know me well and have seen me grow inside the octagon,” the 26-year-old from Grand Rapids, Michigan, said, according to The Body Lock. “I don’t feel I’ve had a barn-burner of a fight yet, but RDA might just give that to me. So, when he puts his chin down and tries to come forward, I’m going to do the same thing.”