UFC Fight Night 90 results recap: Rafael dos Anjos vs Eddie Alvarez fight review and analysis

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight Rafael dos Anjos and Eddie Alvarez collided last night (July 7, 2016) at UFC Fight Night 90 inside MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Dos Anjos’ recent victories have all been against top contenders and have all been dominant. Frankly, the Brazilian has been fighting at an extremely high level, and it was tough to see him losing any bout in the near future.

Looking to shock the world was Alvarez, whose made a habit of pulling off gutsy upsets as of late. In order to leave the cage strapped with gold, the Philadelphia-native would have to put on the performance of a lifetime.

To put it lightly, consider it a mission accomplished.

The fighters started with some serious speed, feinting actively and trading low kicks. However, it was dos Anjos who found his range first, landing the early punches and causing Alvarez to look for a takedown. Instead of placing his opponent on the mat, Alvarez was nearly guillotined and ate a knee for his trouble.

Things seemed to be going badly for Alvarez as his opponent pressured. However, one massive left hand turned the tide, stumbling the Brazilian. Alvarez took off and chased the finish, hammering away at his opponent. While dos Anjos’ will to win kept him on his feet, he simply kept absorbing power punches, forcing Herb Dean to call a stoppage with the former champion still stumbling against the fence.

This is a simply massive accomplishment for Alvarez. Dos Anjos may have been on one of the best win streaks in Lightweight history, but it didn’t matter when Alvarez’s right hand crashed into his jaw.

For most of the fight, Alvarez was really not doing all that well. Prior to the blow that began the finishing sequence, Alvarez was in the process of being dominated.

Luckily, Alvarez has never been very good at quitting. The Philadelphia boxer hung tough in the pocket and took chances, and one of them paid off in the form of a first round knockout.

Up next for the new champion is Tony Ferguson or Khabib Nurmagomedov. On the other hand, this is a crushing defeat for dos Anjos. Despite being so incredibly dominant, it only took a single clean blow to completely shake things up.

It’s hard to critically judge "RDA." The Brazilian was winning. Quite frankly, he looked fantastic and in control, albeit against a very game opponent. Unfortunately for him, small gloves create lots of opportunities, and the pressure game that dos Anjos employs always carries some risk.

That’s the name of the game. On the bright side, dos Anjos is not far from earning another title shot, as he’s still very much among the elite at 155 pounds.

Last night, Eddie Alvarez upset Rafael dos Anjos in incredible fashion to earn the UFC Lightweight strap. How long can the boxer hold onto his belt?

For complete UFC Fight Night 90: "dos Anjos vs Alvarez"results and play-by-play, click HERE!