Introduction
UFC 185: Pettis vs. dos Anjos. March 14, 2015. American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas. Rafael dos Anjos won the UFC Lightweight Championship by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) over defending champion Anthony Pettis. It was one of the biggest upsets in LW title history. Dos Anjos scored takedowns at will, outlanded Pettis in significant strikes, and dominated all five rounds.
In the co-main event, Joanna Jędrzejczyk won the UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship by stopping TUF 20 winner Carla Esparza in the second round. It was the beginning of one of the most dominant title reigns in the sport’s history.
Post-fight, dos Anjos revealed he had been fighting with a torn MCL sustained in training weeks before the bout. Henry Cejudo — 2008 Olympic wrestling gold medallist — also fought on the card, beating Chris Cariaso in his path toward the FW championship.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Quick Stats
3. The Build-Up
4. Main Event
5. Co-Main Event
6. Full Results
7. Bonuses & Awards
8. Records & Milestones
9. Legacy & Impact
10. FAQ
11. References
Quick Stats
Date: March 14, 2015
Venue: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
PPV: 310,000 buys
Main Event: Anthony Pettis (c) vs. Rafael dos Anjos — UFC LW Championship
Result: dos Anjos def. Pettis — UD (50-45 x3) — new LW Champion; dos Anjos had torn MCL
Co-Main: Joanna Jędrzejczyk def. Carla Esparza — TKO R2, 4:17 — WSW Championship; Jędrzejczyk first title win
Bonuses: No FOTN awarded; POTN: dos Anjos, Jędrzejczyk, Ross Pearson, Beneil Dariush ($50k each)
The Build-Up
Pettis had won the LW title at UFC 164 with one of the sport’s most spectacular submissions of Benson Henderson. He had made one defence — submitting Gilbert Melendez at UFC 181. Dos Anjos had been one of the most underrated fighters in the division: he had outpointed Benson Henderson at UFC on Fox 13 and beaten Nate Diaz on the way to his title shot.
Pettis was the heavy favourite. Dos Anjos was considered a respectable but beatable challenger. The fight would make those assessments look completely wrong.
Main Event
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Anthony Pettis — UFC LW Championship
Dos Anjos pressured from the opening bell, backing Pettis against the fence with combinations and level changes. The champion’s signature movement and creativity were nullified by dos Anjos’s constant forward aggression. He scored takedowns and sustained the pressure through all five rounds. Pettis landed a few notable kicks but dos Anjos absorbed them and kept coming.
The final scorecards read 50-45 x3 — a total domination. Dos Anjos controlled the striking and grappling throughout. Dos Anjos had fought the entire bout with a torn MCL, revealed in post-fight interviews. He held the LW title until 2016.
Co-Main Event
Joanna Jędrzejczyk vs. Carla Esparza — UFC WSW Championship
Joanna Jędrzejczyk entered as the unbeaten Polish striker. Esparza had won the inaugural strawweight title via the TUF 20 final by submitting Rose Namajunas and was making her first defence. Jędrzejczyk dominated with her Muay Thai striking, stuffing Esparza’s takedowns and systematically battering her. The TKO came in round two (4:17). It was the start of a WSW title reign that would last until November 2017.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Germaine de Randamie def. Larissa Pacheco — TKO — R2, 2:02 — Women’s BW; de Randamie future UFC women’s FW champion
Joseph Duffy def. Jake Lindsey — TKO — R1, 1:47 — LW; Duffy UFC debut
Ryan Benoit def. Sergio Pettis — TKO (punches) — R2, 1:34 — FLW
Beneil Dariush def. Daron Cruickshank — Sub (rear-naked choke) — R2, 2:48 — LW; POTN ($50k)
Elias Theodorou def. Roger Narvaez — TKO (punches) — R2, 4:07 — MW
Jared Rosholt def. Josh Copeland — TKO (punches) — R3, 3:12 — HW
Ross Pearson def. Sam Stout — KO (punches) — R2, 1:33 — LW; POTN ($50k)
Main Card
Henry Cejudo def. Chris Cariaso — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 (30-27 x3) — FLW; Cejudo 2008 Olympic wrestling gold medalist; future UFC FLW + BW champion
Alistair Overeem def. Roy Nelson — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 (30-27 x3) — HW
Johny Hendricks def. Matt Brown — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 (30-27 x3) — WW
Joanna Jędrzejczyk def. Carla Esparza — TKO (punches) — R2, 4:17 — WSW Championship; Jędrzejczyk new champion; POTN ($50k); Co-Main
Rafael dos Anjos def. Anthony Pettis — Decision (Unanimous) — R5, 5:00 (50-45 x3) — LW Championship; POTN ($50k); dos Anjos new champion
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night: None awarded.
Performance of the Night: Rafael dos Anjos, Joanna Jędrzejczyk, Ross Pearson, and Beneil Dariush — $50,000 each.
Records & Milestones
Rafael dos Anjos — 50-45 x3 domination; widely considered one of the biggest upsets in LW title history; dos Anjos had a torn MCL entering the fight. He defended against Donald Cerrone in his first defence (TKO R1) before losing the title to Eddie Alvarez at UFC 200 in July 2016.
Joanna Jędrzejczyk — WSW Championship win; first Polish UFC champion; went on to make five successful defences before losing to Rose Namajunas at UFC 217.
Henry Cejudo — 2008 Olympic wrestling gold medalist; defeated Chris Cariaso at UFC 185; later became UFC Flyweight champion (defeating Demetrious Johnson) and UFC Bantamweight champion (defeating TJ Dillashaw). One of the few fighters to win Olympic gold and a UFC title.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 185 is best remembered for two title fights that went very differently than expected. Dos Anjos’s win over Pettis remains one of the most one-sided upsets in LW championship history. The scorecards of 50-45 x3 said it clearly: this was not a close fight, and the champion was completely overwhelmed.
Jędrzejczyk’s WSW title win launched the most dominant reign in the weight class’s short history. She would defend five times and hold the belt until November 2017, becoming Poland’s most decorated MMA champion and one of the greatest strikers the sport has produced.
FAQ
How did dos Anjos beat Pettis so convincingly at UFC 185?
Dos Anjos relentlessly pressured Pettis from round one, mixing takedowns and volume striking to dominate all five rounds 50-45 on all three judges’ scorecards. Pettis could not find space to use his trademark striking.
Was Rafael dos Anjos injured at UFC 185?
Yes. Dos Anjos revealed after the fight that he had torn his MCL in training weeks before UFC 185. He fought through the injury and won the LW title.
Did Joanna Jedrzejczyk win a title at UFC 185?
Yes. Joanna Jędrzejczyk stopped Carla Esparza by TKO in round two (4:17) to win the UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship. It was the start of a reign that lasted until November 2017, during which she made five successful defences.
Was Henry Cejudo at UFC 185?
Yes. Cejudo, a 2008 Olympic wrestling gold medalist, defeated Chris Cariaso by unanimous decision at UFC 185 at flyweight (125 lbs). He later became UFC Flyweight Champion by defeating Demetrious Johnson at UFC 227, and UFC Bantamweight Champion by defeating TJ Dillashaw in 2019.
Who were Dos Anjos’ title defences after UFC 185?
Dos Anjos defended against Donald Cerrone at UFC on Fox 17 (TKO R1, 66 seconds). He was then expected to face Conor McGregor at UFC 196 but withdrew with a broken foot, leading McGregor to face Nate Diaz instead. Dos Anjos lost the title to Eddie Alvarez at UFC 200 in July 2016.