Rafael dos Anjos News
Rafael dos Anjos responds after being called a “grandpa” by Islam Makhachev: “If was Islam I would seriously reply, but I know it’s not him”
Harry Kettle - July 26, 2021
Rafael dos Anjos has responded to being labelled a grandpa by Islam Makhachev as their war of words continues. Makhachev and dos Anjos have been booked to fight one another on two separate occasions but due to COVID-19 and an injury setback, the bout hasn’t actually taken place. The two lightweights are viewed by many as great contenders in their own right, although there’s an argument to be made that RDA is the “past” and Makhachev is the future – based on the trajectory of their careers, that is.
Rafael dos Anjos wants to beat Islam Makhachev at UFC 267 and get the rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov
Adam D Martin - July 22, 2021
Rafael dos Anjos says he wants to beat Islam Makhachev at UFC 267 and then get the rematch with his teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov. Dos Anjos and Nurmagomedov fought back in 2014, with Nurmagomedov winning the fight via unanimous decision. However, in a twist of fate, Nurmagomedov suffered an injury following that fight, and dos Anjos actually got the chance to fight for the UFC lightweight belt before him, defeating Anthony Pettis to take home the title in 2015. Dos Anjos would lose the belt in 2016 to Eddie Alvarez, and Nurmagomedov finally claimed it himself in 2018 when he defeated Al Iaquinta. Although Nurmagomedov is now retired from MMA, dos Anjos still wants this rematch one day in order to avenge his earlier career defeat.
Rafael dos Anjos targets "little boy" Conor McGregor following UFC 264: "I would smash that guy"
Adam D Martin - July 13, 2021
UFC lightweight contender Rafael dos Anjos targeted “little boy” Conor McGregor following UFC 264, saying that “I would smash that guy.” Dos Anjos was the backup fighter at UFC 264, being brought in by the promotion in case of a withdrawal by either McGregor or his rival Dustin Poirier. RDA weighed in successfully on Friday for the backup spot, but he was not needed on Saturday as both Poirier and McGregor successfully made it to the fight unscathed. Ironically, the fight ended when McGregor broke his leg in the first round, leading to Poirier winning via first-round TKO.
Rafael dos Anjos happy to see Conor McGregor get a taste of his own medicine with injury at UFC 264
Adam D Martin - July 11, 2021
Former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos was happy to see Conor McGregor get a taste of his own medicine with his injury at UFC 264. McGregor broke his ankle and lost via TKO (doctor stoppage) at the end of the first round against rival Dustin Poirier in the main event of Saturday’s big pay-per-view card in Las Vegas. For dos Anjos, seeing the Irishman break his ankle was karma for the way that McGregor talked about RDA when he broke his foot five years ago. Remember, RDA and McGregor were supposed to fight at UFC 196 in March 2016, but the fight never ended up materializing due to RDA’s injury. Instead of dos Anjos vs. McGregor, Nate Diaz stepped up on short notice, submitted McGregor with a rear-naked choke, and the rest is history.
Conor McGregor reacts after Rafael dos Anjos tabbed as backup for UFC 264 main event
Adam D Martin - July 8, 2021
UFC superstar Conor McGregor reacted after Rafael dos Anjos was tabbed as the backup for his UFC 264 main event fight against Dustin Poirier. On Wednesday, reports emerged that dos Anjos was spotted in Las Vegas and was cutting weight in preparation for Friday’s weigh-in ahead of UFC 264. Apparently dos Anjos was brought in by the UFC as the backup fighter for the UFC 264 main event just in case anything happens to either McGregor or Poirier. In the event that someone gets injured, sick, or doesn’t pass COVID-19 protocols, the UFC will have dos Anjos step in and fight on Saturday night. The hope is that it doesn’t come to that, but RDA is insurance either way.
Darren Till inspired by Charles Oliveira's win at UFC 262 after being "looked over" for years
Adam D Martin - May 18, 2021
Middleweight Darren Till says he was inspired by Charles Oliveira’s win over Michael Chandler at UFC 262 after being “looked over” for years. Oliveira knocked out Chandler in the second round of their main event fight at this past Saturday’s UFC 262 to become the new UFC lightweight champion. The Brazilian has been in the UFC since 2010 but for years, he struggled to be consistent as he juggled between featherweight and lightweight and couldn’t string wins together. After committing to 155lbs again, Oliviera has been on a roll the last several years and is currently riding a nine-fight win streak. It’s been an incredible journey to the top, especially given all the question marks about Oliveira over the years, with many fans labeling him as a “quitter.”
Rafael dos Anjos says there's "not a better time than now" to book Conor McGregor fight for July 10
Cole Shelton - April 13, 2021
Rafael dos Anjos is hoping he can replace Dustin Poirier and face Conor McGregor on July 10. After McGregor and Poirier had a back-and-forth on social media due to the failed payment from McGregor’s to Poirier’s charity. Following the heated exchange, the Irishman claimed the fight was off and he would be facing someone else and Rafael dos Anjos hopes he is that opponent.
Dan Hooker wants to fight Rafael dos Anjos next
Adam D Martin - April 5, 2021
UFC lightweight contender Dan Hooker is targeting a matchup against former champion Rafael dos Anjos the next time he steps into the Octagon. Hooker hasn’t fought since January when he suffered a first-round KO loss to Michael Chandler at UFC 257. It was a tough loss for Hooker, who prior to that had lost a unanimous decision to Dustin Poirier in a 2020 “Fight of the Year” candidate. Prior to those two defeats, Hooker had won three straight fights including wins over Paul Felder, Al Iaquinta, and James Vick. Despite dropping his last two bouts, the Kiwi has proven time and time again that he’s one of the best lightweights in the world, and even though he hasn’t got his hand raised in over a year, he’s still a top-10 ranked lightweight in the UFC.
Islam Makhachev would "love to fight" Justin Gaethje next if RDA bout doesn't come to fruition
Cole Shelton - March 23, 2021
Islam Makhachev believes he will face a top-10 opponent next time out. At UFC 259, Makhachev dominated Drew Dober en route to a third-round submission win. The victory extended his winning streak to seven in a row and is looking to fight a top-ranked opponent. The goal was to rebook the Rafael dos Anjos fight this summer in the main event spot, but he is also open to fighting anyone in the top-10.
Islam Makhachev says Michael Chandler doesn't deserve UFC lightweight title shot
Adam D Martin - March 23, 2021
Islam Makhachev says that divisional rival Michael Chandler doesn’t deserve to fight Charles Oliveira for the vacant UFC lightweight title. Last week, Makhachev’s good friend, former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, announced his retirement from MMA. That means the 155lbs belt is now vacated, and the promotion quickly moved to book Chandler vs. Oliveira in the main event of UFC 262 in Houston for the vacant title. It’s a great fight on paper between two of the top-five ranked lightweights in the UFC, but some believe it wasn’t the right fight to make.
Rafael dos Anjos open to fighting Islam Makhachev, with one condition
Adam Martin - March 10, 2021
UFC lightweight Rafael dos Anjos says he is open to fighting Islam Makhachev but there is a special condition that needs to be met first. Dos Anjos and Makhachev were supposed to meet back at UFC 254 in October and then at a UFC Fight Night card in November, but the fight was postponed and eventually scratched. Dos Anjos instead fought Paul Felder and beat him by split decision, while Makhachev returned to the Octagon this past Saturday at UFC 259, defeating Drew Dober via third-round submission.
Rafael dos Anjos reacts to Islam Makhachev's UFC 259 win: "Stop this hype"
Tom Taylor - March 9, 2021
Former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos isn’t buying the hype surrounding rising contender Islam Makhachev. Makhachev, a long-time friend and training partner of Khabib Nurmagomedov, returned to the cage on the UFC 259 main card last Saturday in Las Vegas, where he picked up an impressive submission victory over Drew Dober.
Rafael dos Anjos says he's a bad matchup for Conor McGregor: "I use a lot of those calf kicks"
Adam Martin - January 27, 2021
UFC lightweight Rafael dos Anjos says he’s a bad matchup for Conor McGregor, suggesting he would utilize a lot of calf kicks if they fought. Dos Anjos and McGregor were originally supposed to meet back at UFC 196 in March 2016, but dos Anjos pulled out of the fight due to injury. He was replaced by Nate Diaz, which led to one of the greatest moments of all time when Diaz tapped McGregor out. Instead of fighting McGregor in a money fight that day, dos Anjos instead didn’t get that fight, and then he lost his title in his very next outing in an upset to Eddie Alvarez, while McGregor and Diaz exploded into mega superstars.
Rafael dos Anjos willing to offer Nate Diaz a handicap in order to secure rematch
Tom Taylor - January 15, 2021
Former UFC lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos wants a rematch with Nate Diaz, and he’s willing to offer his rival a handicap to make the fight happen. Generally speaking, fighters don’t angle for rematches with opponents they’ve already beaten, but that’s the case this time around.
Rafael dos Anjos trashes Conor McGregor for giving "Cowboy" props
Tom Taylor - December 23, 2020
Former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos did not appreciate a recent comment from MMA superstar Conor McGregor. Earlier this week, McGregor took to Twitter to congratulate the UFC on a successful year. In his Tweet, McGregor claimed that his January fight with Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone was the UFC’s biggest pay-per-view of the year. He also gave Cerrone props for tapping Rafael dos Anjos at last Sunday’s Submission Underground 19 card.
SUG 19 Results: Bader defeats Rumble, Cerrone submits RDA
Harry Kettle - December 21, 2020
Ryan Bader and Donald Cerrone picked up big wins in what proved to be an entertaining night of action at Submission Underground 19. Chael Sonnen’s SUG promotion has been able to draw in some of the biggest names in mixed martial arts over the years, and that trend continued last night as several current and former UFC & Bellator stars hit the ground for some fun grappling exchanges.
What's next for Rafael dos Anjos and Paul Felder after UFC Vegas 14?
Cole Shelton - November 16, 2020
In the main event of UFC Vegas 14, Rafael dos Anjos was making his return to the lightweight division to take on Paul Felder who took the fight on short notice. Entering the fight, both men were looking to get back into the win column and get a top-five opponent next time out. Yet, it was dos Anjos who used his grappling to dominate the fight and win a clear decision, although one judge somehow had it scored for Felder.
Rafael dos Anjos rewarded with dope UFC and USADA jacket after 50 clean drug tests
Adam Martin - November 15, 2020
UFC lightweight contender Rafael dos Anjos was rewarded with a cool USADA jacket after he recently completed 50 clean drug tests all-time. Dos Anjos returned to the UFC lightweight division on Saturday night with a split decision win over Paul Felder in a spectacular fight between two incredible athletes. RDA is now 36 years old but he looked to be in amazing shape moving down to 155lbs for the first time in four years. And he did so clean. 30 fights into his UFC career and RDA has never tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. He is a former UFC champion and a great ambassador of this sport as one of the cleanest athletes in the game today.