Rafael dos Anjos

Rafael dos Anjos

Rafael Dos Anjos
Born (1984-10-26) October 26, 1984
Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil[1]
Nationality Brazilian
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2]
Weight 155 lb (70 kg; 11.1 st)[2]
Division Lightweight
Reach 71.0 in (180 cm)[2]
Style BJJ, Muay Thai
Fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Team Kings MMA
Evolve MMA
Rank

3rd Degree Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu [3]

Black Praijed in Muay Thai [4]
Mixed martial arts record
Total 32
Wins 25
By knockout 5
By submission 8
By decision 12
Losses 7
By knockout 1
By submission 1
By decision 5
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Rafael Souza dos Anjos[5] (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁafaˈew duz ˈɐ̃ʒus]; born October 26, 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's lightweight division and the current UFC Lightweight Champion. He is currently #6 in official UFC pound-for-pound rankings and ranked as the #1 lightweight and #2 pound-for-pound fighter in the world by Sherdog.[6][7][8] Dos Anjos trains out of both Kings MMA in Huntington Beach, California and Evolve MMA in Singapore. He is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Aldo "Caveirinha" Januário.[3] Since 2009, he has trained in Muay Thai under the tutelage of the team at Evolve MMA under Kru Chatri Sityodtong.[9]

Early life

In a 2014 interview, Dos Anjos stated that he was a troubled child, getting into fights in his hometown Niterói, Rio de Janeiro.[10] He originally started training Brazilian jiu jitsu under Daniel Matheus at age of nine.[10] According to dos Anjos, he stopped fighting on the streets when he began training jiu jitsu.[10]

Mixed martial arts career

The majority of dos Anjos' early career took place in his native country of Brazil. He would start off his career with a record of 2-2, with both losses coming by way of split decision. Dos Anjos would then rack up 9 straight victories, which included 6 submissions. His 11-2 record in regional circuits would be enough to get a call from the UFC.[11]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Dos Anjos made his UFC debut at UFC 91, losing to Jeremy Stephens. The fight was stopped in the third round after a vicious uppercut knocked out dos Anjos.

For his second UFC fight, dos Anjos was next given Tyson Griffin at UFC Fight Night 18. The fight was a back-and-forth battle that showcased heart, skill, and technique from both fighters but ended in a unanimous decision loss for dos Anjos. The bout was awarded Fight of the Night honors.

Dos Anjos was scheduled to fight Matt Wiman on September 19, 2009 at UFC 103, but due to a knee injury suffered by Wiman, he instead faced Rob Emerson.[12] Dos Anjos got a much-needed win by unanimous decision.

Dos Anjos then defeated Kyle Bradley via unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 20.[13]

At UFC 112, dos Anjos defeated Terry Etim via second round armbar submission, earning him Submission of the Night honors.[14]

Dos Anjos faced Clay Guida on August 7, 2010 at UFC 117.[15] Guida appeared to injure the jaw of dos Anjos in the first round with a hook and would go on to defeat dos Anjos by submission (jaw injury) after dos Anjos tapped from the pressure being applied to his jaw while Guida had arm-and-head control.[16]

Dos Anjos next faced George Sotiropoulos on July 2, 2011 at UFC 132 after replacing an injured Evan Dunham.[17] Dos Anjos showcased his vastly improved striking skills, knocking out Sotiropoulos cold in the first round with a right hand.

Dos Anjos faced Gleison Tibau on November 19, 2011 at UFC 139.[18] He was defeated by split decision.

Dos Anjos faced Kamal Shalorus on May 15, 2012 at UFC on Fuel TV: Korean Zombie vs. Poirier.[19] After dropping Shalorus with a head kick, dos Anjos submitted him via rear-naked choke in the first round.

After taking virtually no damage in the fight against Shalorus, dos Anjos quickly returned to face Anthony Njokuani on July 11, 2012 at UFC on Fuel TV: Munoz vs. Weidman, replacing an injured Paul Taylor.[20] He won the fight via unanimous decision, dominating Njokuani both in striking and grappling.

Dos Anjos faced Mark Bocek on November 17, 2012 at UFC 154.[21] He won the fight via unanimous decision, once again having the edge in both standup and ground fighting.

Dos Anjos next faced Evan Dunham on May 18, 2013 at UFC on FX 8.[22] He won the fight via unanimous decision. However there was some controversy, as 10 out of 10 media outlets scored the bout in favor of Dunham.[23]

Dos Anjos faced Donald Cerrone on August 28, 2013 at UFC Fight Night 27.[24] Dos Anjos won via unanimous decision.

Dos Anjos was expected to face Rustam Khabilov on February 22, 2014 at UFC 170.[25] However, the bout was scrapped in the weeks leading up to the event. Dos Anjos instead faced Khabib Nurmagomedov on April 19, 2014 at UFC on Fox 11.[26] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Dos Anjos faced Jason High on June 7, 2014 at UFC Fight Night 42.[27] He won the fight via TKO due to punches in the second round.

Dos Anjos headlined UFC Fight Night 49 against Benson Henderson on August 23, 2014.[28] He won the fight via knockout in the first round.[29][30] The win also earned him his first Performance of the Night bonus award and holds the distinction of being the first and only man to stop Benson Henderson by strikes.[31]

Dos Anjos faced Nate Diaz on December 13, 2014 at UFC on Fox 13.[32] He won the fight by unanimous decision. He dominated the first two rounds with superior striking and vicious leg kicks with the third round being controlled by Dos Anjos on the mat.

UFC Lightweight Championship

Dos Anjos faced Anthony Pettis for the UFC Lightweight Championship on March 14, 2015 at UFC 185.[33] Dos Anjos won the bout via unanimous decision in a dominant fashion, earning him the UFC Lightweight Championship. After the fight, dos Anjos revealed that he had torn his MCL only a few weeks before the bout.[34] The win once again earned him a Performance of the Night bonus award.[35]

For his first title defense, dos Anjos faced Donald Cerrone in the main event at UFC on Fox 17 on December 19, 2015.[36] He won the fight via TKO at just 66 seconds into the first round, resulting in the fastest finish in UFC Lightweight title history.[37] The win also earned dos Anjos his third Performance of the Night bonus award.[38]

Dos Anjos was expected to face Conor McGregor on March 5, 2016 at UFC 196 for his second title defense of the lightweight belt.[39] However, it was announced on February 23 that Dos Anjos had been forced out of the fight after breaking his foot during training.[40]

Dos Anjos is expected to face Eddie Alvarez on July 7, 2016 at UFC Fight Night 90.[41]

Fighting style

Dos Anjos is known for aggressive, high-volume striking.[42][43] While standing, he often backs an opponent against the cage, then varies between flurries and single strikes. He is particularly noted for his left kick to the body and left cross to the head. He is also recognized for his ground-and-pound.[43] After taking opponents to the mat, he normally follows with a series of punches and elbows.[42] In addition to his striking, dos Anjos is a high level black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.[3]

Personal life

After receiving a broken jaw in the Guida fight, dos Anjos now has a titanium-fused jaw that he claims has broken some hands of later opponents.[44] Dr. Johnny Benjamin has disagreed with dos Anjos, pointing out that the titanium plate in his jaw is measured in millimeters.[45] Dos Anjos has a son as well as a stepson, Rafael Filho and Gustavo.

Championships and achievements

Mixed martial arts record

Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Eddie Alvarez UFC Fight Night: dos Anjos vs. Alvarez July 7, 2016 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Defending the UFC Lightweight Championship.
Win 25–7 Donald Cerrone TKO (body kick and punches) UFC on Fox: dos Anjos vs. Cerrone 2 December 19, 2015 1 1:06 Orlando, Florida, United States Defended the UFC Lightweight Championship. Performance of the Night.
Win 24–7 Anthony Pettis Decision (unanimous) UFC 185 March 14, 2015 5 5:00 Dallas, Texas, United States Won the UFC Lightweight Championship. Performance of the Night.
Win 23–7 Nate Diaz Decision (unanimous) UFC on Fox: dos Santos vs. Miocic December 13, 2014 3 5:00 Phoenix, Arizona, United States Catchweight (160.6 lbs) bout; Diaz missed weight.
Win 22–7 Benson Henderson KO (punch) UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. dos Anjos August 23, 2014 1 2:32 Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States Performance of the Night.
Win 21–7 Jason High TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Khabilov June 7, 2014 2 3:36 Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Loss 20–7 Khabib Nurmagomedov Decision (unanimous) UFC on Fox: Werdum vs. Browne April 19, 2014 3 5:00 Orlando, Florida, United States
Win 20–6 Donald Cerrone Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Kampmann 2 August 28, 2013 3 5:00 Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Win 19–6 Evan Dunham Decision (unanimous) UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Rockhold May 18, 2013 3 5:00 Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil
Win 18–6 Mark Bocek Decision (unanimous) UFC 154 November 17, 2012 3 5:00 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Win 17–6 Anthony Njokuani Decision (unanimous) UFC on Fuel TV: Munoz vs. Weidman July 11, 2012 3 5:00 San Jose, California, United States
Win 16–6 Kamal Shalorus Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC on Fuel TV: Korean Zombie vs. Poirier May 15, 2012 1 1:40 Fairfax, Virginia, United States
Loss 15–6 Gleison Tibau Decision (split) UFC 139 November 19, 2011 3 5:00 San Jose, California, United States
Win 15–5 George Sotiropoulos KO (punch) UFC 132 July 2, 2011 1 0:59 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 14–5 Clay Guida Submission (jaw injury) UFC 117 August 7, 2010 3 1:51 Oakland, California, United States
Win 14–4 Terry Etim Submission (armbar) UFC 112 April 10, 2010 2 4:30 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Submission of the Night.
Win 13–4 Kyle Bradley Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Maynard vs. Diaz January 11, 2010 3 5:00 Fairfax, Virginia, United States
Win 12–4 Rob Emerson Decision (unanimous) UFC 103 September 19, 2009 3 5:00 Dallas, Texas, United States
Loss 11–4 Tyson Griffin Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Kampmann April 1, 2009 3 5:00 Nashville, Tennessee, United States Fight of the Night.
Loss 11–3 Jeremy Stephens KO (punches) UFC 91 November 15, 2008 3 0:39 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 11–2 Takafumi Otsuka Decision (split) Fury FC 6 - High Voltage July 12, 2008 3 5:00 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Win 10–2 Takaichi Hirayama Submission (armbar) Pancrase: Shining 5 June 1, 2008 1 1:25 Tokyo, Japan
Win 9–2 Gabriel Veiga Decision (unanimous) Fury FC 5 - Final Conflict December 6, 2007 3 5:00 São Paulo, Brazil
Win 8–2 Danilo Cherman Submission (kimura) Fury FC 4 - High Voltage August 4, 2007 2 3:38 Teresópolis, Brazil
Win 7–2 Mauricio Souza Submission (rear-naked choke) XFC - Brazil April 29, 2007 1 6:24 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Win 6–2 Thiago Minu Submission (rear-naked choke) XFC - Brazil April 29, 2007 1 7:28 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Win 5–2 Johil de Oliveira Submission (rear-naked choke) Juiz de Fora - Fight 4 April 7, 2007 1 2:50 Juiz de Fora, Brazil
Win 4–2 Mateus Trindade Decision (unanimous) Shooto - Brazil 11 March 24, 2007 3 5:00 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Win 3–2 Diogo Oliveira Submission (armbar) TFMMA - Top Fighter MMA 2 October 25, 2006 2 N/A Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Loss 2–2 Jorge Britto Decision (split) Arena - BH Combat June 4, 2005 3 5:00 Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Win 2–1 Felipe Arinelli TKO (doctor stoppage) Juiz de Fora - Fight 2 April 26, 2005 2 N/A Juiz de Fora, Brazil
Win 1–1 Joao Paulo Almeida Decision (unanimous) Arena - BH October 9, 2004 3 5:00 Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Loss 0–1 Adriano Abu Decision (split) Juiz de Fora - Fight 1 September 25, 2004 3 5:00 Juiz de Fora, Brazil

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Rafael dos Anjos' profile". Tapology.com. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 "Rafael dos Anjos". UFC.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 "Rafael dos Anjos". BJJ Heroes: the jiu jitsu encyclopedia. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Rafael dos Anjos". Facebook. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  5. ↑ http://boxing.nv.gov/2011%20Results%20Web/07-02-11%20MMA.pdf
  6. ↑ "Fighter Rankings | UFC ®". ufc.com.
  7. ↑ "Sherdog's Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings". sherdog.com.
  8. ↑ "Sherdog.com’s Pound-for-Pound Top 10". sherdog.com.
  9. ↑ |url=http://www.evolve-mma.com
  10. 1 2 3 Road to the Octagon: Junior Dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic. Zuffa. Dec 8, 2014. Retrieved 2014-12-08. Road to the Octagon: Junior Dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic
  11. ↑ "Rafael dos Anjos MMA Record". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2015-03-15.
  12. ↑ Morgan, John (2009-07-24). "Injury forces Matt Wiman out of UFC 103, Rob Emerson expected to face Rafael dos Anjos". MMAjunkie.com. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
  13. ↑ "UFC Fight Night 20 recap". mmajunkie. January 12, 200. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ↑ "Etim v. dos Anjos at UFC 112". fightersonlymagazine.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
  15. ↑ "Clay Guida vs. Rafael dos Anjos Set for UFC 117 on August 7 in Oakland". mmafrenzy.com. 2010-05-10.
  16. ↑ "UFC 117 main card recap, miracle submission saves champ Anderson Silva". mmajunkie.com. August 7, 2010.
  17. ↑ "George Sotiropoulos to fight Brazilian star Rafael dos Anjos". heraldsun.com.au. 3 May 2011.
  18. ↑ "UFC 139 confirmed for San Jose, adds Rafael dos Anjos vs. Gleison Tibau". mmajunkie.com. 16 August 2011.
  19. ↑ "UFC on Fuel TV: Korean Zombie vs. Poirier". ufc.com. March 12, 2012.
  20. ↑ Martin, Damon (May 22, 2012). "Paul Taylor Out of UFC on Fuel 4". mmaweekly.com. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
  21. ↑ "Mark Bocek vs. Rafael dos Anjos added to UFC 154 in Montreal". mmajunkie.com. August 23, 2012.
  22. ↑ "Evan Dunham vs. Rafael dos Anjos added to UFC on FX 8". mmajunkie.com. February 26, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Rafael dos Anjos defeats Evan Dunham". mmadecisions.com. May 18, 2013.
  24. ↑ Staff (June 5, 2013). "Donald Cerrone vs. Rafael dos Anjos co-headlines UFC on FOX Sports 1 2 in Indy". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  25. ↑ Jesse Holland (December 3, 2013). "Rafael dos Anjos vs. Rustam Khabilov in the works for UFC 170 on Feb. 22 in Las Vegas". mmamania.com. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  26. ↑ Matt Erickson (February 5, 2014). "Khabilov-dos Anjos off UFC 170; dos Anjos meets Nurmagomedov at UFC on FOX 11". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  27. ↑ Matt Erickson (2014-04-30). "Rafael dos Anjos vs. Jason High set for UFC Fight Night 42 in Albuquerque". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2014-04-30.
  28. ↑ Ryan Grab (2014-06-17). "UFC in Tulsa main event announced". tulsaworld.com. Retrieved 2014-06-17.
  29. ↑ Karim Zidan. "UFC Fight Night Tulsa results: Rafael dos Anjos KOs Benson Henderson in the first round". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  30. ↑ "UFC Fight Night 49 - Henderson vs. dos Anjos". Sherdog. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  31. ↑ Staff (2014-08-24). "UFC Fight Night 49 bonuses: Four fighters get $50,000 'Performance' awards". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2014-08-24.
  32. ↑ Dave Doyle (2014-09-23). "Nate Diaz ends holdout, meets Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on Fox 13". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2014-09-23.
  33. ↑ Staff (2015-01-03). "Champ Anthony Pettis vs. Rafael dos Anjos headlines UFC 185 in Dallas". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-01-03.
  34. ↑ Brandon Wise (2015-03-15). "Rafael dos Anjos defeats Anthony Pettis to claim UFC lightweight title". cbssports.com. Retrieved 2015-03-15.
  35. ↑ Matt Erickson (2015-03-15). "UFC 185 bonuses: Who joined the two new champs with $50,000 checks?". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-03-15.
  36. ↑ Marc Raimondo (2015-08-13). "Rafael dos Anjos defends title against Donald Cerrone in UFC on FOX 17 headliner". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2015-08-13.
  37. ↑ John Morgan (2015-12-19). "UFC on FOX 17 results: Rafael dos Anjos downs Cerrone in 66 seconds, warns McGregor". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  38. ↑ Staff (2015-12-19). "UFC on FOX 17 bonuses: Nate Diaz, Michael Johnson cash in for entertaining scrap". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  39. ↑ Tristen Critchfield (2016-01-12). "Rafael dos Anjos-Conor McGregor, Holly Holm-Miesha Tate Official for UFC 196". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2016-01-12.
  40. ↑ Ariel Helwani (2016-02-23). "Rafael dos Anjos injured, out of UFC 196 main event fight against Conor McGregor". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  41. ↑ Damon Martin (2016-04-15). "Rafael dos Anjos defends his title against Eddie Alvarez on UFC Fight Pass". foxsports.com. Retrieved 2016-04-15.
  42. 1 2 Erik Fontanez (15 March 2015). "UFC 185 Results: Rafael dos Anjos Dominates Anthony Pettis, Earns Lightweight Title". mmaweekly.com. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  43. 1 2 Connor Ruebusch (19 March 2015). "UFC 185 Judo Chop - Rafael Dos Anjos: A Flawless Execution, part 2". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  44. ↑ Nate Wilcox. "UFC Fight Night 27: Rafael dos Anjos claims two opponents have broken their hands on his titanium jaw". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  45. ↑ Folkes, Ben. "Twitter Mailbag: Can Dos Anjos' jaw really break hands? Is UFC 185 worth the trip?". www.mmajunkie.com. USA Today. Retrieved March 15, 2015.

External links

Preceded by
Anthony Pettis		 7th UFC Lightweight Champion
March 14, 2015 - present 		Incumbent
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