We have a brand new king of the UFC’s lightweight division.
Eddie Alvarez claimed UFC gold by pummelling Rafael dos Anjos with a tornado of strikes in the first round of the UFC Fight Night 90 main event.
Alvarez came out with guns blazing and emptied every ounce of his gas tank on the jaw of Dos Anjos.
Brazil’s dos Anjos withstood the storm valiantly, displaying a champion’s chin, but the forward pressure was too much for an already rocked RDA.
.@Ealvarezfight blitzes @RdosAnjosMMA to be crowned the new @ufc lightweight champ! 👊 #UFCVegas #AndNew https://t.co/JVi1o2rPHO
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) July 8, 2016
Visibly wobbled, dos Anjos was saved from further damage by Herb Dean who stepped in after 3:49 of the opening round.
With the UFC’s lightweight division arguably the most stacked in the entire organisation, a new champion adds an entirely fresh dynamic to proceedings.
What an unbelievable start to an incredible weekend of fights.