Rafael dos Anjos says he has accepted fight with top contender, hints it’s not Islam Makhachev
UFC lightweight Rafael dos Anjos says he has accepted a fight with a top contender but he hinted that it’s not against Islam Makhachev.
The former UFC lightweight champion dos Anjos has most recently been calling for a fight against Conor McGregor, but we now know that McGregor will officially be fighting Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 264 on July 10 in Las Vegas. Although dos Anjos wanted the McGregor fight, it was always a piped ream. Instead, it seems likely that he will fight someone else in the top-10. On Wednesday, RDA took to his social media to reveal that he’s accepted a fight against a top contender at 155lbs. However, when asked if it’s against Makhachev, he made a joke to a fan about the Russian not being a top contender.
Got a call couple days ago to fight a top contender on the division, I said yes, I’m waiting on the other side #ufc #July10th
— Rafael dos Anjos (@RdosAnjosMMA) April 14, 2021
Got a call couple days ago to fight a top contender on the division, I said yes, I’m waiting on the other side #ufc #July10th
??? Is this guy a top contender??
— Rafael dos Anjos (@RdosAnjosMMA) April 14, 2021
??? Is this guy a top contender??
Let’s take a look at the UFC lightweight rankings so we can try and figure out who the mystery opponent is. No. 1 ranked Poirier is fighting No. 6 McGregor next, No. 3 Charles Oliveira is fighting No. 4 Michael Chandler next, and No. 5 Tony Ferguson is fighting No. 9 Beneil Dariush. Just by process of elimination, that leaves No. 2 ranked Justin Gaethje, and No. 8 ranked Dan Hooker as potential opponents for dos Anjos, who is ranked No. 7. Any of those fights make sense for RDA.
Dos Anjos (30-13) recently made his return to the lightweight division and defeated Paul Felder via a split decision to jump back into the top-10 at 155lbs. Prior to that, RDA had lost four of five fights at welterweight. Though he’s 36 years old now and five years removed from being the UFC lightweight champion, he’s still at the top of his game and is destined for a big fight.
Who do you want to see Rafael dos Anjos fight next?
