Raphael Dos Anjos Calls End to Title Aspirations, Wants Masvidal, Ferguson
Raphael Dos Anjos announced earlier today that he's had his last title run and would like to face fellow veterans from here on out.
Former UFC Lightweight champion and Welterweight interim title challenger Rafael Dos Anjos knows that his last title run has been made, and from here on out would only like fights that satisfy a different desire. He has been with the UFC for over a decade and has made his mark on the sport of MMA. His BMF attitude earns him respect from fans that very few fighters have. RDA has always taken on the contenders and champions of 155 and 170 without looking for easier fights.
His last fight was a main event against Rafael Fiziev on July 10th. He lost the bout via 5th-round knockout, marking the first time he'd been dropped in a fight since 2008. Although he lost the bout, it was a very close affair. One judge had it 2-2 going into round 5 and RDA showed that he still has what it takes to hang with the best.
Although more often than not, we see fighters try to stay at the top of their divisions for too long and suffer a brutal fall from grace, Dos Anjos has taken a more economical approach to his sunset years in MMA. Smartly, he now seeks to fight with those in a similar place to him and earn back victories from former foes. This will no doubt add to his legacy when he retires.
Speaking of his legacy, RDA won the UFC Lightweight title back in 2015 when he dominated then-champion Anthony Pettis as a massive underdog. He would defend the title against Donald Cerrone with a 1st-round TKO. Although he failed to retain it after that, he holds wins over the elite in the UFC, such as Nate Diaz, Robbie Lawler, and Benson Henderson, as well as the aforementioned title wins.
And though he didn't defeat them he still took on former and current Welterweight champions, Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards. During his 170 run, he also faced Colby Covington and Michael Chiesa. Dos Anjos possesses one of the most rock-solid resumes in MMA history and has faced some of the toughest competition any weight class can offer.
Now it is time for him to take a step back, though, and commit to fighting fellow veterans.
