UFC Fight Night 49 results recap: Ben Henderson vs. Rafael dos Anjos fight review and analysis

It's never a dull moment in the crowded Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight division.

UFC Fight Night 49: "Henderson vs. dos Anjos" took place this past weekend (Sat., Aug. 23, 2014) from inside BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and in the main event, Rafael dos Anjos scored a first-round knockout over the former UFC lightweight champion.

The result was met with some controversy, since many felt as if referee "Big" John McCarthy stepped in too soon to call it a night for "Smooth."

Check out the highlights and judge for yourself right here.

In the opening sequence of the FOX Sports 1 main event, both combatants were looking to establish their range, and the respect factor was certainly there. Some jabs were thrown, yet nothing was really landing for either fighter.

Henderson then drilled his adversary with a right hand, but RDA was doing a good job of staying on the outside and backed up to avoid clean shots. The Brazilian threw a few punches of him own, which included a lot of power behind his swings. He was speedy with his counters, too.

A push kick from "Bendo" knocked his foe to the mat, but the Brazilian was up in no time to land a nice left hook. Henderson landed a few more punches, but dos Anjos caught him clean with counters. As Henderson tried to come in and close the distance, RDA landed some clean counters, and pounced on him to do further damage. After exchanging a few leg kicks, dos Anjos closed off the cage and landed a solid left punch, followed by a quick flurry soon after that rocked his foe.

RDA then threw a pair of knees, which hit "Smooth" flush on the chin. The former lightweight champ tried to go for the takedown, but to no avail. As soon as he got up, dos Anjos clipped "Bendo" with a monster left hook, which took his opponent's legs out. The flash knockout saw Henderson go limp, with his back falling against the cage. As soon as Henderson hit the mat, dos Anjos rushed him to make sure he wasn't going to get up, but McCarthy stormed in and called off the fight.

With his powerful and speedy striking on display, the Brazilian secured the most emphatic win of his career, but it didn't please everyone. The crowd was absolutely shocked when it happened, and the partisans unleashed a chorus of boos when they finally understood what had happened.

Say what you will about the stoppage, but it doesn't change the fact that dos Anjos secured a win in the Octagon for an eleventh time, and ranks third on the list of most wins in UFC lightweight history.

Since this was his third fight in four months, it's difficult to predict what's next for dos Anjos. Undefeated lightweight prospect Khabib Nurmagomedov already beat him, and although the winner of Donald Cerrone vs. Eddie Alvarez at UFC 178 is enticing, the Kings MMA product already has a win over "Cowboy."

Henderson, on the other hand, entered this bout with a lot more to lose, and it shows now that it's all said and done. He had only lost to Anthony Pettis (twice) in 21 bouts that preceded his battle on Saturday night, and it's going to be an uphill battle to get back into the title picture, regardless of his past accomplishments and status as an elite 155-pounder.

Crazy sport, huh?

For more on UFC Fight Night 49: "Henderson vs. dos Anjos," check out our story stream here.