Rafael Dos Anjos vs Tony Ferguson — Fight recap

Tony Ferguson defeated Rafael Dos Anjos via unanimous decision after five rounds on November 5, 2016, with referee Herb Dean officiating. Ferguson's striking volume proved decisive, landing 199 significant strikes compared to Dos Anjos's 121, while maintaining a 49% accuracy rate to his opponent's 43%.

The former lightweight champion Dos Anjos attempted five takedowns but converted none, unable to implement a grappling strategy to disrupt Ferguson's rhythm. Ferguson controlled the striking exchanges throughout, landing 45 of 47 leg kicks—a punishing total that accumulated damage over five rounds—while Dos Anjos managed only 30 seconds of control time.

Neither fighter secured knockdowns or submission attempts, making this a pure striking battle where Ferguson's relentless output and leg-kick assault earned all three judges' scorecards. The victory positioned Ferguson as a legitimate threat in the lightweight division and signaled a decline in Dos Anjos's trajectory following his loss of the title.