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Robbie Lawler vs. Rafael dos Anjos to headline UFC on FOX 26

By Mike Heck

ANAHEIM, CA - JULY 29: (R-L) Robbie Lawler punches Donald Cerrone in their welterweight bout during the UFC 214 event inside the Honda Center on July 29, 2017 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - JULY 29: (R-L) Robbie Lawler punches Donald Cerrone in their welterweight bout during the UFC 214 event inside the Honda Center on July 29, 2017 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) /
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The UFC’s return to Winnipeg will feature a welterweight headliner between former champions Robbie Lawler and Rafael dos Anjos.

Robbie Lawler will look to move one step closer to regaining the UFC welterweight title at the end of the year. Standing in his way is another former world champion looking to cement his own place at the top of the division.

The organization announced the bout via the UFC Canada Twitter page that Lawler will take on former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in the main event of UFC on FOX 26. The event will take place on Dec. 16 at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

After losing the UFC welterweight title to Tyron Woodley at UFC 201 in July 2016, Lawler returned to the Octagon just about a year later and defeated Donald Cerrone at UFC 213. “Ruthless” has won six of his last seven bouts and hopes a victory over another former champion will put him in a prime position to try to recapture the gold.

Dos Anjos has been impressive since moving up the 170-pound division. After a unanimous decision victory over Tarec Saffiedine at UFC Fight Night 111 in his welterweight debut, “RDA” sent a message to the rest of the division with a first-round submission victory of Neil Magny at UFC 215 in September. The former lightweight champion made the switch the welterweight division following losing the title to Eddie Alvarez last July, followed by a unanimous decision loss to Tony Ferguson in the UFC Fight Night 98 headliner back in November.

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UFC on FOX 26 will feature a pair of light heavyweight showdowns between Glover Teixeira and Misha Cirkunov, as well as Jared Cannonier facing Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. An exciting flyweight matchup will take place on the card as former title challenger Tim Elliott takes on Justin Scoggins. It will be the first event for the UFC in Winnipeg since UFC 161 in June 2013.

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