# UFC on Fox: Lawler vs. dos Anjos
**UFC on Fox: Lawler vs. dos Anjos** (also billed as UFC Fight Night Winnipeg) was a mixed martial arts event held by the [Ultimate Fighting Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/ultimate-fighting-championship) on December 16, 2017 at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, headlined by a five-round welterweight bout between former champions [Robbie Lawler](https://www.edgepedia.org/robbie-lawler) and [Rafael dos Anjos](https://www.edgepedia.org/rafael-dos-anjos)[1](https://www.ufc.com/news/dos-anjos-outlasts-lawler-five-round-slugfest-winnipeg). Dos Anjos won by unanimous decision with all three judges scoring 50-45, his third consecutive victory since moving up from lightweight to welterweight[1](https://www.ufc.com/news/dos-anjos-outlasts-lawler-five-round-slugfest-winnipeg).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date and venue | December 16, 2017, Bell MTS Place, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada[1](https://www.ufc.com/news/dos-anjos-outlasts-lawler-five-round-slugfest-winnipeg) |
| Main event result | Rafael dos Anjos def. Robbie Lawler by unanimous decision (50-45 across all three scorecards)[1](https://www.ufc.com/news/dos-anjos-outlasts-lawler-five-round-slugfest-winnipeg) |
| Records after the fight | Dos Anjos 28-9; Lawler 28-12 with 1 no contest[1](https://www.ufc.com/news/dos-anjos-outlasts-lawler-five-round-slugfest-winnipeg) |
| Main event weigh-ins | Lawler 170.5 lb; dos Anjos 170 lb[2](https://www.ufc.com/news/fight-night-winnipeg-weigh-results) |
| Card size | 11 bouts after the Tim Elliott vs. Pietro Menga flyweight bout was removed when Menga was deemed physically unfit to compete[2](https://www.ufc.com/news/fight-night-winnipeg-weigh-results) |
| Broadcast | Main card on FOX at 8 pm ET; six prelims on FS1; two fights on UFC Fight Pass[2](https://www.ufc.com/news/fight-night-winnipeg-weigh-results) |
| Viewership | Final same-day average of 2,107,000 viewers on FOX; the last three main-event rounds peaked at 3,071,000[3](https://www.mmafighting.com/2017/12/19/16797566/ufc-on-fox-26-rafael-dos-anjos-vs-robbie-lawler-peaks-at-3071000-viewers) |
## Background and matchmaking
The UFC officially announced the main event on October 12, 2017, pairing two former champions: Lawler, a former welterweight titleholder, and dos Anjos, a former lightweight champion who had moved up to 170 pounds in June 2017[4](https://www.mmafighting.com/2017/10/12/16464738/robbie-lawler-vs-rafael-dos-anjos-set-for-ufc-winnipeg-main-event). Lawler entered at 28-11 with 1 no contest, having rebounded from his knockout loss to [Tyron Woodley](https://www.edgepedia.org/tyron-woodley) with a unanimous decision over [Donald Cerrone](https://www.edgepedia.org/donald-cerrone) at [UFC 214](https://www.edgepedia.org/ufc-214) in July 2017[4](https://www.mmafighting.com/2017/10/12/16464738/robbie-lawler-vs-rafael-dos-anjos-set-for-ufc-winnipeg-main-event). Dos Anjos was 2-0 at welterweight, having defeated Tarec Saffiedine by decision and Neil Magny by first-round submission at UFC 215[4](https://www.mmafighting.com/2017/10/12/16464738/robbie-lawler-vs-rafael-dos-anjos-set-for-ufc-winnipeg-main-event).
Both men were ranked contenders in a division awaiting a clear challenger to champion Tyron Woodley, and a title shot was expected to be on the line[1](https://www.ufc.com/news/dos-anjos-outlasts-lawler-five-round-slugfest-winnipeg). The matchup was promoted as a rare southpaw-versus-southpaw meeting of pressure fighters: Lawler a power-punching kickboxer who had never attempted a submission in 30 fights for major organizations, dos Anjos a striker-wrestler with greater variety and five career knockouts[5](https://www.mmafighting.com/2017/12/16/16775104/ufc-on-fox-26-main-event-breakdown-robbie-lawler-vs-rafael-dos-anjos).
## Weigh-ins and card changes
At the official weigh-in on December 15, Lawler came in at 170.5 pounds and dos Anjos at 170[2](https://www.ufc.com/news/fight-night-winnipeg-weigh-results). In the co-main event, [Josh Emmett](https://www.edgepedia.org/josh-emmett) missed the featherweight limit at 148.5 pounds and was fined 30 percent of his purse, with the bout against [Ricardo Lamas](https://www.edgepedia.org/ricardo-lamas) proceeding as scheduled[2](https://www.ufc.com/news/fight-night-winnipeg-weigh-results).
The card was reduced to 11 bouts when the flyweight bout between [Tim Elliott](https://www.edgepedia.org/tim-elliott) and Pietro Menga was removed after Menga was deemed physically unfit to compete; the Nordine Taleb vs. Danny Roberts bout moved from UFC Fight Pass to the FS1 prelims as a result[2](https://www.ufc.com/news/fight-night-winnipeg-weigh-results).
## The main event
Dos Anjos and Lawler stood and traded for two full rounds, with dos Anjos landing more strikes, including a sustained flurry that pinned Lawler against the fence[6](https://www.ufc.com/news/fight-night-lawler-vs-dos-anjos-final-results). Dos Anjos got the fight to the mat in the opening minute of round three, and after Lawler returned to his feet the two engaged in a grueling inside scrap; late in the round dos Anjos countered a Lawler flurry and unleashed hard elbows for the remainder of the frame[1](https://www.ufc.com/news/dos-anjos-outlasts-lawler-five-round-slugfest-winnipeg).
Between rounds Lawler told his corner he was injured, with his leg appearing to be the problem, and he had visible trouble moving in the fifth round[1](https://www.ufc.com/news/dos-anjos-outlasts-lawler-five-round-slugfest-winnipeg). Sherdog later reported that Lawler tore his ACL during the fight[7](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/The-Good-the-Bad-and-the-Ugly-of-UFC-on-ESPN-5-159619). Dos Anjos kept accumulating damage, landing a brutal knee to Lawler's head as the fourth round expired and throwing hard elbows and knees in the fifth while referee [Herb Dean](https://www.edgepedia.org/herb-dean) stood the fighters up after takedowns[1](https://www.ufc.com/news/dos-anjos-outlasts-lawler-five-round-slugfest-winnipeg) • [6](https://www.ufc.com/news/fight-night-lawler-vs-dos-anjos-final-results).
All three judges scored the fight 50-45 for dos Anjos, who called it a war and said his hands were hurting afterward[1](https://www.ufc.com/news/dos-anjos-outlasts-lawler-five-round-slugfest-winnipeg). The win moved dos Anjos to 28-9 and, in the UFC's own assessment, to the front of the line to face welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in 2018; Lawler fell to 28-12 with 1 no contest[1](https://www.ufc.com/news/dos-anjos-outlasts-lawler-five-round-slugfest-winnipeg) • [8](https://us.ufcespanol.com/news/fight-night-winnipeg-scorecard).
## The rest of the card
The event was one of the most upset-heavy cards of 2017: based on fantasy player selections, nine upsets occurred and only three favorites won[9](https://us.ufcespanol.com/news/fight-night-lawler-vs-dos-anjos-fantasy-rewind). Among the favorites who lost, Josh Emmett stunned Ricardo Lamas in the co-main event[10](https://combatpress.com/2017/12/ufc-on-fox-26-lawler-vs-dos-anjos-results/). The FS1 prelims were headlined by Jan Blachowicz's decision win over [Jared Cannonier](https://www.edgepedia.org/jared-cannonier)[3](https://www.mmafighting.com/2017/12/19/16797566/ufc-on-fox-26-rafael-dos-anjos-vs-robbie-lawler-peaks-at-3071000-viewers).
## Broadcast ratings
The fast national numbers were 1.78 million viewers and a 0.6 rating in the 18-49 demographic, the lowest ever for the UFC's annual December network prime-time special and down 34 percent from the December 2016 show[11](https://www.mmafighting.com/2017/12/17/16787408/ufc-on-fox-26-overnight-ratings-quality-dos-anjos-lawler-fight-delivers-poor-numbers). The final same-day average rose to 2,107,000 viewers once the full main event and West Coast viewers were counted, the fourth-lowest number for a UFC on FOX broadcast to that point but the second most-watched MMA event on American television in 2017[3](https://www.mmafighting.com/2017/12/19/16797566/ufc-on-fox-26-rafael-dos-anjos-vs-robbie-lawler-peaks-at-3071000-viewers). The last three rounds of the main event averaged 3,071,000 viewers, and the broadcast led all network television in the men's and overall 18-34 and 18-49 demographics, trailing only NFL programming in the key demos[3](https://www.mmafighting.com/2017/12/19/16797566/ufc-on-fox-26-rafael-dos-anjos-vs-robbie-lawler-peaks-at-3071000-viewers). The FS1 prelims drew 456,000 viewers from 5 to 8 p.m.[3](https://www.mmafighting.com/2017/12/19/16797566/ufc-on-fox-26-rafael-dos-anjos-vs-robbie-lawler-peaks-at-3071000-viewers).
## Aftermath
Dos Anjos did not receive an immediate title shot; he went on to headline further UFC events and later challenged for interim gold, while Lawler's ACL tear marked the start of a decline in which he lost three consecutive fights in a stacked welterweight division[7](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/The-Good-the-Bad-and-the-Ugly-of-UFC-on-ESPN-5-159619). The fight itself endured in highlight reels: dos Anjos's long punch combination against the fence on the badly compromised Lawler became one of the most replayed sequences of his career[1](https://www.ufc.com/news/dos-anjos-outlasts-lawler-five-round-slugfest-winnipeg).
## References
1. [Dos Anjos outlasts Lawler in five-round slugfest in Winnipeg, UFC.com](https://www.ufc.com/news/dos-anjos-outlasts-lawler-five-round-slugfest-winnipeg)
2. [Fight Night Winnipeg: Weigh-in Results, UFC.com](https://www.ufc.com/news/fight-night-winnipeg-weigh-results)
3. [UFC on FOX 26: dos Anjos vs. Lawler peaks at 3,071,000 viewers, MMA Fighting](https://www.mmafighting.com/2017/12/19/16797566/ufc-on-fox-26-rafael-dos-anjos-vs-robbie-lawler-peaks-at-3071000-viewers)
4. [Robbie Lawler vs. Rafael dos Anjos set for UFC Winnipeg main event, MMA Fighting](https://www.mmafighting.com/2017/10/12/16464738/robbie-lawler-vs-rafael-dos-anjos-set-for-ufc-winnipeg-main-event)
5. [UFC on FOX 26 main event breakdown: Robbie Lawler vs. Rafael dos Anjos, MMA Fighting](https://www.mmafighting.com/2017/12/16/16775104/ufc-on-fox-26-main-event-breakdown-robbie-lawler-vs-rafael-dos-anjos)
6. [Fight Night: Lawler vs Dos Anjos - Final Results, UFC.com](https://www.ufc.com/news/fight-night-lawler-vs-dos-anjos-final-results)
7. [The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of UFC on ESPN 5, Sherdog](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/The-Good-the-Bad-and-the-Ugly-of-UFC-on-ESPN-5-159619)
8. [Fight Night Winnipeg Scorecard, UFC.com](https://us.ufcespanol.com/news/fight-night-winnipeg-scorecard)
9. [Fight Night: Lawler vs Dos Anjos Fantasy Rewind, UFC.com](https://us.ufcespanol.com/news/fight-night-lawler-vs-dos-anjos-fantasy-rewind)
10. [UFC on Fox 26 Results: Dos Anjos Dominates Lawler, Emmett Stuns Lamas, Combat Press](https://combatpress.com/2017/12/ufc-on-fox-26-lawler-vs-dos-anjos-results/)
11. [UFC on FOX 26 overnight ratings: Quality dos Anjos-Lawler fight delivers poor numbers, MMA Fighting](https://www.mmafighting.com/2017/12/17/16787408/ufc-on-fox-26-overnight-ratings-quality-dos-anjos-lawler-fight-delivers-poor-numbers)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Combat sports and professional wrestling › Mixed martial arts › UFC Fight Night events*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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