Athletes
Rafael Dos Anjos Continues To Build His Legacy
Brazilian Veteran Aims To Celebrate His 40th Birthday With A Win Over Geoff Neal In Abu Dhabi At UFC 308
What better way to celebrate your 40th birthday than getting in a fistfight in Abu Dhabi. That’s how former lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos will be celebrating his birthday on Saturday night.
“I was ready to fight in September, but this specific date and being Abu Dhabi, I decided to wait a little longer and fight on my birthday, in Abu Dhabi, which is where I fought 14 years ago and I got Submission of the Night, so I'm happy to be here again.”
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Dos Anjos makes the move back up to the 170-pound division after competing at lightweight in his last fight against Mateusz Gamrot earlier this year at UFC 299. Following that fight, Dos Anjos posted on his social media that he wasn’t looking to compete at lightweight anymore and was only focused on competing at welterweight.
With the new champion, Belal Muhammad, at the top of the division, Dos Anjos believes it is an exciting time for the welterweights, and there are a lot of fights that interest him.
“There's a lot of guys, young and coming up in the division,” Dos Anjos said. “It is full of killers. For me to make 155 is just too hard. I want to be able to finish my contract with the UFC and, in order to do so, it has to be at 170 pounds. There are a lot of names, legends that interest me at welterweight.”
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Dos Anjos made his UFC debut back in 2008, so it’s not wrong to know that the end is closer than the start for the Brazilian. However, don’t think that Dos Anjos is even remotely close to calling it quits. He still finds the fire to fuel himself every day and is still feeling strong and healthy.
“People ask me about retirement, and I feel I still have a lot in me,” Dos Anjos said. “I wake up every day and I want to train, and I want to do something. I don't feel that the time to stop is right now. I'm coming off losses, but I was going the distance. I think my goal is to keep competing and keep my legacy alive and having that longevity. I think that's also part of my legacy, as well.”
Rafael Dos Anjos | Top Moments
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Rafael Dos Anjos | Top Moments
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He'll look to continue his legacy against the No. 10 ranked welterweight Geoff Neal. Both athletes are coming off losses and looking to get back in the win column. But for Dos Anjos, he just wants to put on a performance that will get people out of their seats and talking.
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“I'm just thankful to be competing and being able to do what I love and provide for my family,” Dos Anjos said. “I want to get people out of their seats. Winning or losing, I want people to talk about me on Sunday morning. That's my goal and that's what I'm going to do. Geoff is a great opponent, but I know that fight is mine. I'm going to win this one.”
Being able to compete and 170 pounds and not have to cut down to 155 pounds is a big game changer for Dos Anjos in a variety of ways, even starting from when the contract is signed. He said when he competed at lightweight, the stress immediately started, even if the fight was two or three months away, because the weight was always an issue.
But now, he is able to give his body an ample amount of rest between training sessions and even spend more time with family, making the fight camp and fight week process much more enjoyable overall.
Sixteen years spent in the Octagon and Dos Anjos has accomplished more than most might in their fighting career, but that doesn’t mean he is going to stop giving it his all, and who knows, he might just find himself back to championship gold.
“People ask me, do you have the eyes on the title? No, I don't have my eyes on the title because I remember back on the days at lightweight, I was keeping my eyes on the title, and I lost a couple of fights, and it seemed like my dream slipped away from me. But once I got back in the gym and I forgot about the belt, and I was just focused on winning my fight, I ended up getting the title, so right now my focus is on winning my fights, and if the opportunity to fight for the belt is presented to me, I will be ready to fight.”
UFC 308: Topuria vs Holloway took place live from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on October 26, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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