Rafael Dos Anjos Has More Gold on His Mind Ahead of TUF 28 Finale
Dos Anjos believes a win over Kamaru Usman at The Ultimate Fighter 28 Finale puts him in prime position for another bid for UFC gold.
Esther Lin, MMA FightingWith a third opportunity for a UFC title in mind, Rafael dos Anjos, the former world lightweight champion, is paying close attention to the welterweight rankings.
Currently ranked No. 3 in the division, Dos Anjos (28-10) told MMA Junkie that he believes a win over Kamaru Usman (13-1) on Friday, Nov. 30, at The Ultimate Fighter Finale puts him in prime position for another opportunity at the welterweight belt:
“Look at the rankings… The only guy I saw that could put me back in the title picture would be Kamaru Usman.”
In his estimation a fight with Darren Till didn’t make any sense as the Englishman was just turned away by Tyron Woodley two months ago. And save for Woodley and Till, the only fighter rated above “RDS” is Colby Covington, who defeated him at UFC 225.
But Usman is surging up the UFC’s official rankings, coming in at No. 5.
Fighting out of Texas, by way of Nigeria, Usman is not just an imposing wrestler, but almost 10 fights into his UFC career (8-0), he’s also an unstoppable one. So despite finishing just two opponents inside the Octagon, the American-transplant is enjoying two-to-one odds to pick up another “W” against dos Anjos.
The Brazilian is aware of Usman’s strengths, especially in comparison to the grappling-base that plagued him against Covington in June.
“A lot of people asked me, ‘You’re going to fight another wrestler? Shouldn’t you take an easier fight?’” dos Anjos explained.
Still, a record of 17-8 in the UFC is emblematic of how much dos Anjos has consistently overcome since a humbling start to the big leagues. Making his UFC debut in 2008, then resembling a one-dimensional jiu-jitsu player, he was forced to settle for a 4-4 by the end of 2011.
But in 2015, a masterclass performance over Anthony Pettis for UFC gold capped off a tear through the 155-pound class. In time, dropping the belt to Eddie Alvarez, dos Anjos didn’t let a career at lightweight stop him from jumping up to the 170-pound category.
Another impressive run—made up of three quality wins over Tarec Saffiedine, Neil Magny and Robbie Lawler—put dos Anjos in front of Covington for the interim title in 2018.
The loss fresh in his mind, dos Anjos likes his chances this weekend.
“I wasn’t at my best with Colby,” dos Anjos said. “Now I’m at my best—I closed all the gaps that were open before.”
TUF 28 Finale main card is set to air on FOX Sports 1 at 10 p.m. ET.
