Rafael dos Anjos’ performance against Nate Diaz tonight was reminiscent of Jose Aldo’s against Urijah Faber; Diaz’s leg got wrecked.

If you take away the legs of striker Nate Diaz, you take away his ability to put power in his punches. Rafael Dos Anjos’ gameplan was clear: Attack the lead leg of his opponent and take away the most important part of his offense. Diaz took so many leg kicks in the first round that he was already wobbly halfway through the first. By the end of the round, he was switching his stance and it was clear the leg kicks affected his grappling skills.

The onslaught continued in the second round where Dos Anjos repeatedly attacked the lead leg of Diaz. Dos Anjos cut Diaz open with a straight left over the left eye, but a quick inspection from the doctor allowed the fight to continue.

Dos Anjos did not let the halt in action sway the momentum at all as he continued to change levels and land strikes at will. Whether it was leg kicks, body kicks or combinations, Dos Anjos found success everywhere.

The third and final round was just a showcase of Dos Anjos’ skills being able to control his opponent and neutralize offense. He took Diaz down to the ground and even though one of Diaz’ strong suits is fighting off of his back, Dos Anjos was not in a dangerous position once.

Rafael dos Anjos def. Nate Diaz by way of Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)