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Fight for the Title Against Islam Makhachev or the “Red Panty Night” Fight Versus Conor McGregor Only Options Rafael Dos Anjos Would Give UFC to Make Lightweight Next

Published 04/16/2023, 6:16 AM EDT

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Rafael dos Anjos has cleared the air about the possibility of him fighting in the lightweight division. The former champion has called out Conor McGregor in 2022. He has now emphasized that the only fights he was ready to take were against Islam Makhachev and Conor McGregor. While Islam Makhachev has recently defended his belt against Alexander Volkanovski, Conor McGregor aims to make a slow and steady journey toward a UFC return.

In his tweet, Rafael dos Anjos mentioned that apart from these two fighters, nobody could get him to fight at 155 lbs. He said other fighters should refrain from calling him out since there was no way he would fight in the lightweight division anymore.

Rafael dos Anjos aims for title shot or money fight

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In March 2015, dos Anjos defeated Anthony Pettis to become the UFC lightweight champion. He, however, lost his title to Eddie Alvarez and an interim welterweight championship against Colby Covington. After a rough patch, ‘RDA’ is now sitting on a career record that reads. 32 wins and 14 losses, RDA has landed in a relatively comfortable position with 3 wins in his past 4 fights.

Rafael Dos Anjos Thrills Fans With Final UFC Announcement

This made him clear about his choices for a lightweight fight. He commented, I want to be very clear about possibilities of me fighting at 155. There’s only scenario that I would go back to 155. 1: fight for the title (Islam) 2:Fight Conor. Other than that don’t even waste your time calling me out or tagging me.”

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‘RDA’ is currently ranked #9 in the UFC lightweight division, but a fighter of his caliber can pose threats to Makhachev in his prime form or McGregor looking for a comeback after a long hiatus. The Brazilian even had the opportunity to reach the upper echelons of the promotion by securing his status of being champion in two divisions.

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RDA could have been a two-division champion

Rafael dos Anjos initially competed as a welterweight before dropping down to lightweight in 2010. Dos Anjos quickly established himself as a top contender in the lightweight division, earning wins over notable opponents such as Anthony Pettis, Donald Cerrone, and Nate Diaz. In March 2015, dos Anjos defeated Anthony Pettis to become the UFC lightweight champion. Dos Anjos successfully defended his title once against Donald Cerrone before losing it to Eddie Alvarez in July 2016.

USA Today via Reuters

Dos Anjos then moved up to the welterweight division and earned impressive wins over fighters such as Neil Magny and Robbie Lawler. In December 2017, dos Anjos fought for the interim UFC welterweight championship, but lost to Colby Covington.

Had he won that title, he would have achieved the impressive feat of winning a title in two different divisions. Thus, there are no questions about his capabilities. If he fights his favorite opponents or not will depend a lot on if the stars align. Do you think dos Anjos will get any of his preferred fights? Let us know why or why not.

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Written by:

Akshay Pallav

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Akshay Pallav is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. He is passionate about MMA and is dedicated to producing high-quality content that is both informative and engaging for readers. Akshay has extensive experience covering the sport, including interviewing top stars like Marlon Moraes and Sage Northcutt.
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Edited by:

Amal Joyce