Rafael Dos Anjos eyes return for first title defense
Rafael Dos Anjos eyes return for first title defense
Rafael Dos Anjos dominated Anthony Pettis at UFC 185 to win the lightweight title, earning a unanimous decision by out grappling, and overall just shutting down the explosive former champ. What made Dos Anjos’ performance even more phenomenal was the fact that he did this with a torn MCL.
Dos Anjos (24-7) recently had surgery and is currently healing. The new lightweight king said that he should be able to get back to training within three months, and is aiming for his return to take place end of October, early November, in what would be his first title defense.
In 2014, Dos Anjos was very active. The newly crowned lightweight champion would fight five times, going 4-1 in that stretch, including his four-fight win streak which earned him the prestigious UFC lightweight title.
With five-to-six months until his return, Dos Anjos could be facing anyone and much could change in the 155-pound rankings. Former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis currently sits as the number one contender, with Khabib Nurmagomedov at number two, and Donald Cerrone at number three. Cerrone and Nurmagomedov were set to face each other at UFC 187 on May 23, but Nurmagomedov had to pull out due to another knee injury.
With Cerrone now facing replacement John Makdessi, and Anthony Pettis facing Myles Jury in July, we will hopefully see a clearer picture as to who may be the first to face Dos Anjos upon his return.
