Even though it was set twice in the past, Islam Makhachev vs. Rafael dos Anjos is a fight that never saw the light of the UFC octagon. Unfortunately, it has turned down again according to the UFC president Dana White.
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Earlier the Brazilian former lightweight champion Dos Anjos was set to clash against Rafael Fiziev at UFC 272. However, the latter pulled out of the fight due to health issues. This left the Brazilian with no partner to dance with inside the cage.
Fortunately, many fighters, including Tony Ferguson, Kevin Holland, and Islam Makhachev, agreed to take the fight on short notice. Among them, the Dagestan native was very close to getting the fight. However, White, in an interview with Barstool Sports, claimed he turned it down.
Dana, you went to bed to early, you gotta stay up late to get things done 😂😂😂
Dana on Islam/RDA: "I thought we had it done. I went to bed one of the nights I thought it was done and woke up the next morning and [Makhachev] turned it down." Dana says Makhachev/Dariush is next.
White said, “I thought we had it done. When I went to bed one of the nights, I thought it was done. Woke up the next morning and found out they turned it down. Islam.”
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However, Whites’ claim didn’t sit well with the Dagestan native. Later, Makhachev took to his official Twitter account and cleared things up whilst taking a cheeky dig at the UFC boss. He wrote, “Dana, you went to bed to early, you gotta stay up late to get things done.”
Is Islam Makhachev fighting Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 272?
The former UFC lightweight champion was set to make his return after his last win in 2020 against Paul Felder. However, just weeks before the fight, his opponent has pulled out.
Many fighters, including the UFC commentator Paul Felder, chimed in their names for the short notice fight. Makhachev also had a verbal back-and-forth with Dos Anjos, and the fighters agreed to fight. However, after many speculations and names, the promotion has set Renato Moicano to take on Dos Anjos at UFC 272 instead.
Moicano is currently on a two-fight undefeated run and has finished both his previous opponents. He is fresh from his recent win at UFC 271. Even though taking up short notice bouts hasn’t turned out to be good for many fighters. It will excite fans to see how this match-up comes out.
What are your thoughts on Makhachev’s cheeky dig on White? Do you think Moicano will be able to bag a win in this short notice fight? Let us know in the comments below.