A welterweight clash between former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos and Kevin Lee will headline the UFC’s first trip to Rochester, N.Y.
UFC officials on Wednesday told the Democrat and Chronicle that the 170-pound bout will serve as the main event of UFC on ESPN+ 9, which streams live on ESPN+ from Blue Cross Arena on May 18.
Dos Anjos is currently ranked No. 8 in the latest USA TODAY Sports MMA welterweight rankings, while Lee sits at No. 5 in the lightweight list. However, after having difficulty cutting down to the division’s 155-pound limit in a pair of recent outings, Lee now moves up to 170 pounds for the first time in his UFC career.
Dos Anjos returns to action for the first time since falling short to current UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman in a No. 1 contender fight last November. He’ll now face Lee, who challenged unsuccessfully for an interim UFC title in October 2017. Since that setback, Lee earned an impressive TKO win over fellow top contender Edson Barboza before losing a heartbreaking decision to Al Iaquinta this past December.
With the addition to the card, the UFC on ESPN+ 9 lineup now includes:
- Rafael dos Anjos vs. Kevin Lee
- Sijara Eubanks vs. Aspen Ladd
- Zak Cummings vs. Trevin Giles
- Grant Dawson vs. Mike Trizano
- Patrick Cummins vs. Ed Herman
For more on UFC on ESPN+ 9, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
