Rafael Dos Anjos Asks Khabib Nurmagomedov to Give His Word if He Wants Islam Makhachev in Next Fight

Former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos (7) has issued a response to a call-out from Islam Makhachev (11). The Dagestani grappler submitted Drew Dober upon his Octagon return at UFC 259. Last year, the UFC booked Makhachev and Dos Anjos to headline a fight card, but the Russian had to withdraw.

Hence, Dos Anjos fought Paul Felder as he made a return to the lightweight division and earned a split decision. Makhachev is currently looking for a higher-ranked opponent to step inside the Octagon with next to build on his win. And the Brazilian, Dos Anjos, fits the bill with his accolades over the years.

But the former champion has laid out a condition for him to fight the Dagestani prospect. He is interested to fight the Russian but wants assurance from his teammate, Khabib Nurmagomedov, that ‘The Eagle’ will fight him next if he beats Makhachev.

“When I had the belt I asked Ali who was my manager at the time for a rematch with Khabib but Ali always protected his friend and kept him alway from me. I have no problem to fight @MAKHACHEVMMA but if his team believes in him so much I need @TeamKhabib word he will fight me next,” wrote the former champion on Twitter.

RDA and Makhachev have been going back-and-forth on Twitter for a considerable amount of time now. Dos Anjos fought Nurmagomedov in 2014 and was dominated. Subsequently, he racked up a 5-fight winning streak, became UFC champion, and defended his belt.

Rafael dos Anjos vs Khabib Nurmagomedov 2: is that a possibility?

Dos Anjos is interested in overturning his loss against Nurmagomedov, but with Nurmagomedov currently retired and holding the belt, it’s unlikely that he would fight Dos Anjos even he returns.

Dos Anjos is not someone who would back out from a challenge. The row of killers the legendary Brazilian has fought over the course of his career is astonishing. However, Makhachev represents the new wave of talent entering the lightweight division, and that is a problem for the veterans.

Nevertheless, it would be a great spectacle to see how Dos Anjos fares against Makhachev.

What did you make of the recent saga between RDA and Islam Makhachev? Though a fight against ‘The Eagle’ seems unlikely, it would interest UFC fans to see the reactions in the aftermath of this bout should it go ahead.