Former UFC lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos is done with chasing the title, and now wants to put on some fan-friendly bouts against fellow veterans of the sport.
‘RDA’ faced off with rising contender Rafael Fiziev in the main event of a UFC Fight Night bout earlier this year, where he was brutally knocked out in the final round. The result of this fight has seemingly convinced the former 155lb title holder that his days at the very top of the division are done.
In a recent post to his Twitter account, Rafael dos Anjos stated that he now wishes to face off against the likes of Jim Miller or Jorge Masvidal, or even rematch Tony Ferguson or Clay Guida, rather than make another run at the No.1 spot of the 155lb division.
He stated: “I had my last title run…and now it is time to fight people that motivates me to wake up and train. I have almost eight hours of octagon time…get me a veteran for a change!I would love to fight guys like Jim Miller, Jorge Masvidal or get my rematch with Tony Ferguson or Guida.”
How likely is Rafael dos Anjos to get one of the four names he has mentioned?
Of the four names dos Anjos has stated he is interested in, two are already currently matched up with opponents.
Tony Ferguson is set to face off against Li Jingliang in the next PPV event, UFC 279. ‘El Cucuy‘ defeated RDA back in 2016, picking up a unanimous decision victory. However, the time since has not been overly kind to Ferguson, who is now riding a four-fight losing streak. He has recently made the move to Jackson Wink MMA Academy, in hopes of revitalizing his career. Should he defeat ‘The Leech’ next month, a rematch with Rafael dos Anjos makes a lot of sense.
It's a bird! It's a plane! IT'S EL CUCUY!!!
[ @TonyFergusonXT | #UFC279 | Sep 10 | @TMobileArena |
https://t.co/OC4rzCv6hr ] pic.twitter.com/DsVPS1hfnu
— UFC (@ufc) August 25, 2022
Clay Guida is also booked up. ‘The Carpenter’ is set to take on Scott Holtzman at the end of the year, with news of the fight only dropping recently. There is still plenty of time until this fight takes place, and should Holtzman drop out, RDA could easily step in to face the 37-22 UFC veteran.
Jorge Masvidal is not currently booked, but he does still have some issues preventing him from entering the UFC octagon. ‘Gamebred’ is currently dealing with a court case brought on by an alleged assault on bitter rival Colby Covington. The incident reportedly took place shortly after their main event clash at UFC 272. Masvidal has stated that he may be looking at a return to the UFC in early 2023.
Jim Miller is the only fighter who appears to be in the perfect position to take a fight with RDA. ‘A-10’ is riding a three-fight winning streak, having defeated Erick Gonzalez, Nikolas Motta and Donald Cerrone. Jim Miller vs. Rafael dos Anjos is a fight that would make plenty of sense and could easily take a featured prelim spot on a major PPV card.
Jim Miller still packs a punch
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 20, 2022
