UFC 185: Pettis vs. dos Anjos

UFC will return to Dallas on Saturday, March 14th for UFC 185. UFC lightweight champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis defends his crown for the second time against surging Brazilian contender Rafael dos Anjos. Jumping right back into the Octagon following his impressive second-round submission win against Gilbert Melendez at UFC 181, Milwaukee’s Pettis promised to stay active in 2015. He believes this is just the start of another big year. Dos Anjos has long been one of the most underrated lightweights in the UFC, but in 2014, he had three wins—including knockouts of Benson Henderson and Jason High, plus a decision win against Nate Diaz. Plus, Carla Esparza will defend her UFC strawweight title for the first time against Poland’s Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Long considered MMA’s top 115-pound athlete, Esparza ran through the field on The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned. She capped things off by submitting Rose Namajunas in December to win the finale and the first UFC strawweight title. Poland’s unbeaten Jedrzejczyk earned her shot at the belt with two impressive Octagon wins against Juliana Lima and Claudia Gadelha, setting the stage for an explosive showdown.