Rafael dos Anjos: 5 Defining Moments
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The bout takes place at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York, on May 18. As fight day approaches, here are five moments that have come to define the career of the former lightweight champion.
FACING ADVERSITY … In his sophomore appearance with the UFC, then
lightweight dos Anjos squared off against Tyson
Griffin at UFC Fight Night 18 in April 2009. The stocky
American outworked “RDA” with relentless quickfire punching
combinations, heavy low kicks and some periods of sustained control
when the action hit the mat. After three rounds, the judges all
sided with Griffin.
With the unanimous decision loss, dos Anjos was now 0-2 with the Las Vegas-based promotion and was in dire need of a victory. However, the Fight of the Night honours-winning bout put fans on notice that the Brazilian was a pugilist intent on entertaining. He would go on to win his next three fights under the UFC banner.
STERLING PERFORMANCE … In August 2014, dos Anjos faced Benson Henderson at UFC Fight Night 49 in a lightweight contest. Many anticipated the American’s formidable wrestling would prove too much for the Brazilian. From the outset, Henderson was intent on dragging his opponent to the floor but “RDA” refused to be taken down. In the first frame, he sprawled on a Henderson double-leg takedown attempt. When the pair returned to their feet, dos Anjos uncorked a left hook to the head that sent Henderson plummeting to the seat of his pants. Following a further two punches on his downed foe, the referee called a halt to the beat down at the 2:32 point of round one.
WINNING GOLD … “RDA” got his first chance for gold when he faced the promotion’s lightweight champion Anthony Pettis at UFC 185 in March 2015. The clash between the two revered strikers was expected to be a closely contested affair. However, it was soon apparent that the Brazilian had an effective strategy as he stalked “Showtime” and unleashed heavy hooks along with a number of takedowns. With little space in which to work his flashy striking style, Pettis struggled to adapt. Although the Milwaukee native hung tough, the judges all sided with dos Anjos who became the new lightweight champion. For his impressive effort, “RDA” was also awarded Performance of the Night.
DEFENDING HIS STRAP … In the first defense of his lightweight strap, dos Anjos met challenger Donald Cerrone in a rematch at UFC on Fox 17 in December 2015. The Brazilian opted to stand and trade with the Muay Thai-orientated but notorious slow-starter “Cowboy.” Having quickly overwhelmed Cerrone with an onslaught of blows, dos Anjos connected with a left roundhouse kick to the body which hurt the American. Soon after, a desperate Cerrone shot for a takedown that dos Anjos effortlessly defended with a sprawl. He then swivelled to his opponent’s side and delivered ground and pound strikes until the referee called a halt to the beatdown 1:06 into the first stanza.
A FRUSTRATING NIGHT … Two years removed from losing his lightweight title to Eddie Alvarez, dos Anjos, now competing at 170 pounds, looked to become a two-time UFC champion when he challenged Colby Covington for the interim welterweight title at UFC 225 last summer. From the outset, though, the American frustrated “RDA” with his high output boxing, interspersed with effective clinch work and takedowns. Although the Brazilian connected sporadically with heavy strikes, he had no answer to Covington’s frenetic fighting style. After five largely one-sided rounds, the judges all favoured the bout in favor of “Chaos.”
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