UFC Winnipeg preview: Will Dos Anjos' 2nd wind follow him north of the border?

This time last year, Rafael dos Anjos was in a strange place.

The former UFC lightweight champion was nursing his first two-fight skid in over seven years which saw him lose his strap to Eddie Alvarez by first-round knockout and drop a five-round duel with Tony Ferguson by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 90 and 98.

A change of division and a pair of welterweight victories later, Dos Anjos has traveled to frosty Winnipeg, Manitoba in pursuit of a victory over Robbie Lawler in what's been billed as a 170-pound title eliminator at Saturday's UFC on FOX 26.

In the 13 months since his loss to Ferguson, the 33-year-old has enlisted the services of vaunted boxing coach Jason Parillo, bested Tarec Saffiedine in his divisional debut, and submitted Neil Magny in under one round to put himself within arm's reach of a shot at becoming the first Brazilian two-division champion in UFC history.

Standing in his way is a banger who called the UFC welterweight crown his less than 17 months ago. After defending the strap he'd claimed from Johny Hendricks in a pair of instant classics opposite Rory MacDonald and Carlos Condit at UFC 189 and 195, respectively, Lawler was usurped at UFC 201 as emphatically as Dos Anjos had been just three weeks prior.

The Strikeforce alum saw his reign end in a first-round KO courtesy of former American Top Team cohort Tyron Woodley, and wasn't seen in the Octagon again until 364 days later at UFC 214, where he submitted a vintage performance en route to unanimous decision over Donald Cerrone - his corner now led by Combat Club head man and former Blackzilians coach Henri Hooft.

Much like his dance partner, Lawler aims to make a crucial stride toward regaining his former glory in Saturday's headliner at Bell MTS Place.

A series of unfortunate events

It's not easy being Ricardo Lamas.

Since the fall of 2016, the former UFC featherweight title challenger has seen a date with BJ Penn - and UFC Fight Night 97 in its entirety - fall through and three ensuing bookings undergo late opponent changes. The 35-year-old has soldiered through it all, dispatching short-notice fill-ins Charles Oliveira and, most recently, Jason Knight ahead of Saturday's co-headliner opposite Josh Emmett.

Lamas had been expected to vie for revenge against Jose Aldo on the bill, only for the Brazilian to fill in for an injured Frankie Edgar and make a failed bid to usurp Max Holloway at UFC 218. The perennial contender resumed his camp in Florida with no one to train for until the comparatively unheralded Emmett valiantly stepped up just over two weeks prior to fight night, but in an extension of a never-ending streak of misfortune, the late replacement came in 2.5 pounds over the divisional limit at Friday's weigh-ins.

With Father Time leaving no loose ends and both Edgar and the surging Brian Ortega patiently awaiting their shots at UFC featherweight gold, Lamas will have to make the best of what the MMA gods have cruelly dealt him and purge every trial that's befallen him over the past year and change on Emmett's person once the cage door shuts. Should the Emmett deliver as promised and stun the top-five fixture, Lamas may very well be relegated to purgatorial gatekeeper status until the end of his fighting days.

Stand and bang

The final quarter of 2017 has produced no shortage of instantly classic thrillers, and the second welterweight bout of Saturday's main card might fit the bill.

In a clash of purebred strikers, Santiago Ponzinibbio and Mike Perry will look to resume their climbs up a steep divisional ladder. The 31-year-old Ponzinibbio can't buy a pay-per-view booking, but that hasn't deterred him from supplying fireworks with every walk to the Octagon. In a breakthrough performance, the Argentine most recently trounced Gunnar Nelson in under two minutes at UFC Fight Night 113 for his fifth straight victory. He'll meet the fast-rising Perry in his 10th promotional bout - all of which have come on free TV.

Thanks to a fan-friendly style, zany personality and heavy workrate, Perry has separated himself from the welterweight pack in just a handful of UFC appearances spanning just 16 months. After scoring a KO of the Year candidate at Jake Ellenberger's expense with a hellacious elbow this past April, the 26-year-old picked up his 11th knockout in as many pro victories with a 79-second dismantling of newcomer Alex Reyes at UFC Fight Night 116 in September. He'll now look to make it three in a row in his embryonic career's stiffest test yet.

Related - UFC Winnipeg predictions: Who will emerge as the top welterweight contender?

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)