Rafael dos Anjos News

Christopher Taylor - January 11, 2019

Former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos claims he has already accepted a fight with perennial welterweight contender Santiago Ponzinibbio. “RDA” took to Twitter where he blasted “Ponz” with the following message for insinuating that he was a chicken.

Tom Taylor - December 3, 2018

Last Friday night, in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter 28 Finale, former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos stepped into the cage with streaking welterweight contender Kamaru Usman. Although dos Anjos put forth an admirable effort in this fight, he was not able to withstand Usman’s relentless attack, and ultimately gave up a unanimous decision to his dangerous foe as a result.

Chris Taylor - November 30, 2018

A key welterweight contest featuring Rafael dos Anjos taking on Kamaru Usman headlined tonight’s TUF 28 Finale event in Las Vegas. Kamaru Usman entered tonight’s event sporting an impressive twelve-fight win streak, with eight of those victories taking place in the UFC. “The Nigerian Nightmare” was coming off a win over Demian Maia in his most recent octagon appearance.

Chris Taylor - November 30, 2018

Tonight’s TUF 28 Finale event was headlined by a key welterweight contest featuring Rafael dos Anjos taking on Kamaru Usman. The former UFC lightweight champion, Rafael dos Anjos (28-10 MMA), entered tonight’s main event looking to rebound, this after suffering a unanimous decision loss to Colby Covington in his most recent contest at UFC 225.

Chris Taylor - November 10, 2018

Former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos had some strong words for Conor McGregor following the Irishman’s demands of ONE Championship’s Chatri Sityodtong. Last week a massive trade sent former ONE Championship welterweight title holder Ben Askren to the UFC in exchange for former flyweight kingpin Demetrious Johnson.

Chris Taylor - October 11, 2018

Moments after scoring a fourth-round submission victory over Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC 229, Khabib Nurmagomedov proceeded to leap out of the octagon and onto Dillon Danis. The victorious UFC lightweight champion, Nurmagomedov, proceeded to throw punches with the McGregor’s jiu-jitsu coach (Danis) until security was able to step in and separate the heated rivals.

Tom Taylor - October 8, 2018

Shortly after Khabib Nurmagomedov submitted Conor McGregor at UFC 229, he leapt out of the Octagon, and onto McGregor’s training partner Dillon Danis like Mario on a Goomba. From there, he and Danis engaged in a brief scrap, trading punches until they were separated. Shortly thereafter, former UFC lightweight champion and current welterweight contender Rafael dos Anjos took to Twitter, where he trashed Dillon Danis for his role in this ugly, post-fight brawl.

Tom Taylor - September 6, 2018

This Saturday night, in the main event of UFC 228, UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley will attempt to defend his title opposite undefeated British challenger Darren Till. Rafael dos Anjos, who is one of the top contenders in the crowded UFC welterweight division, will be watching this fight closely. For Rafael dos Anjos, the outcome of this fight could come down to whether or not Till makes weight. This is something Till has struggled with before, and the reason dos Anjos doesn’t think he deserves a title shot. At the end of the day, however, he believes Woodley will probably retain the title.

Tom Taylor - August 12, 2018

In a recent interview with Combate, surging Argentine welterweight contender Santiago Ponzinibbio called for a fight with former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. It’s his hope that he and dos Anjos can fight in the main event of the UFC’s November 17 debut in Argentina. “Want to fight in November? Fight me,” Santiago Ponzinibbio said of dos Anjos. “November 17, in South America, let’s do the main fight. Stop being loose and [not] fighting. You have to fight. I do not understand why he’s running out of the fight, being able to put on a big show in South America, near his country. Let’s make a historic event, the first time [the UFC comes to Argentina], a very good opportunity. I do not understand what happens to him. [It’s a] good fight, I can not understand. The guy is running from the fight and I do not know why.”

Tom Taylor - July 23, 2018

On Sunday evening, in the headlining bout of UFC Hamburg, former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua returned to the cage opposite Anthony Smith, a fresh new light heavyweight contender who stepped in to replace Volkan Oezdemir on short notice. Unfortunately, this fight did not go as planned for the MMA legend Shogun, as he was promptly knocked unconscious by a vicious volley of strikes from his opponent. In the wake of this knockout loss, Shogun has implied that he’s not done fighting yet — that “life continues,” even after setbacks of this kind. 

Chris Taylor - June 23, 2018

Former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos will likely be the next man to square off with surging welterweight contender Kamaru Usman. BJPENN.com’s Chris Taylor reported that news earlier today.

Drake Riggs - June 11, 2018

The original plan for UFC 225 was to have two title fights atop the stacked night of fights. Unfortunately, one ended up not being over a championship but the other went along as planned. In UFC 225’s co-main event this past Saturday, former UFC lightweight champion, Rafael Dos Anjos took on Colby Covington in search of his fourth straight win at 170 pounds and an interim title to boot.

Chris Taylor - June 9, 2018

Colby Covington and Rafael dos Anjos squared off for the promotions interim welterweight title in the co-headliner of tonight’s UFC 225 event in Chicago. Colby Covington entered tonight’s championship bout on a five-fight win streak, his latest being a lopsided decision win over Demian Maia.

Tom Taylor - June 3, 2018

Last weekend, in the main event of UFC Liverpool, Darren Till picked up the biggest win of his career thus far, scoring a close decision victory over two-time welterweight title challenger Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. Regrettably, Till’s win was shadowed in controversy, as he missed weight for the bout, tipping the scales three and a half pounds over the 171-pound limit for non-title welterweight fights. In the opinion of Rafael dos Anjos, who will battle Colby Covington for the UFC interim welterweight title in the co-main event of UFC 225, Till’s struggles with the scale will probably eventually force him up to the 185-pound welterweight division. The recent  behind-the-scenes footage of Till’s weight-cut was all the proof dos Anjos needed to this end.

Tom Taylor - June 1, 2018

Colby Covington, who battles Rafael dos Anjos for the interim welterweight title at UFC 225 this June 9, is perhaps the most polarizing fighter in mixed martial arts today. The American welterweight has unleashed a stream of incendiary trash talk over the last few months, but apparently, it’s not bothering his opponent dos Anjos. “I grew up in Brazil in the favelas, man. Bullies, trash talking, doesn’t work with me,” dos Anjos said during the UFC 225 media conference call on Thursday (transcribed by MMA Fighting). “But I think Colby, he’s just trying [to be Conor McGregor]. Conor does it well. Conor, he’s a rich man, he makes a lot of money.”

Chris Taylor - May 5, 2018

Rafael dos Anjos and Michael Bisping take aim at Bellator’s Dillon Danis Former UFC champions Rafael dos Anjos (lightweight) and Michael Bisping (middleweight) took aim at Bellator MMA’s Dillon Danis on social media this weekend.

Tom Taylor - April 3, 2018

Rafael dos Anjos and Colby Covington’s UFC 224 interim welterweight title fight, which was first reported by BJPenn.com’s Chris Taylor, is now a done deal. The bout is expected to be announced by the UFC any minute now, while both fighters will participate in a press conference in Brooklyn, NY this Friday.

Tom Taylor - March 30, 2018

Though the UFC hasn’t made it official just yet, former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos is expected to battle Colby Covington for interim welterweight gold at UFC 224 this May 12. Speaking during a recent Instagram live video session, the division’s undisputed champ Tyron Woodley questioned dos Anjos’ choice to accept this fight. In his eyes, dos Anjos would have been wiser to hold out for a shot at the true welterweight title.