Energy Management
This was his debut performance at 170, and frankly, he performed comparably and admirably compared to his lightweight past. Lee didn’t lose because he was depleted from a weight cut, or because he’s in the wrong division, or even because he was the lesser mixed martial artist. He lost because of how he rations his energy.
This is not to say he would have won if he fought at a slower pace. It is only to say that he put himself at a significant disadvantage for a crafty veteran to capitalize upon. In the first two rounds, Lee tried nine takedowns and fired off 67 mostly full-power strikes. You can see the effort in everything he does. And you can see the slowdown as he goes along.
Contrast that to dos Anjos, who manages a smooth and controlled tempo throughout his fights, and it’s easy to see the difference. The Brazilian is a decorated veteran and represented a chance for Lee to collect his first win over a former UFC champion. He is just too experienced and too good to offer a handicap.
The good news is that Lee remains both young and talented. No fighters in the lightweight or welterweight class walk away from viewing his fights and thinking he will be a quick or easy win. Lee has skills and heart and time.
The bad news is that none of those guarantee him anything. The worse news is that he has to find a way to fix this issue on the fly. The UFC isn’t likely to give him a few easy fights to help his progression. He’ll continue to face a murderer’s row not too dissimilar to his last quartet. Dos Anjos,
Al Iaquinta,
Edson Barboza and
Tony Ferguson; that’s not just a group of studs, there’s an actual bogeyman in the mix!
It was always going to be a tall order to jump up a weight class and beat the division’s No. 3-ranked contender. For a few minutes, Lee was doing that. And that is something. That is meaningful. But to get to where he wants to go, to take a step forward, Lee has to do something counterintuitive: he has to slow down.
--MMA Fighting