Rafael dos Anjos thinks he’s being left out of the lightweight contention conversation.
At 36, the former UFC lightweight champion vows he still has a lot of fight left in him. After a successful stint at welterweight that included challenging for the interim title, dos Anjos (31-13 MMA, 19-11 UFC) has moved back down to his original weight class.
He was able to snap a two-fight losing skid with a “Fight of the Night” effort over Paul Felder in November and thinks people forget the kind of resume he’s stacked up over the years, which includes dethroning Anthony Pettis for the lightweight belt and making quick work of a prime Donald Cerrone to defend his title.
But with the divisional inclusion of fresh faces like former three-time Bellator lightweight champ Michael Chandler, who needed less than a round to stop Dan Hooker in his UFC debut, the climb back just got longer for dos Anjos, and he knows it.
“He showed up great and he had a great performance, but I think there are guys over there that should be in the line ahead of him, definitely,” dos Anjos told MMA Junkie. “He just got in the UFC. He beat Dan Hooker, who’s a tough guy – but he needs another victory. I think there are guys in the line ahead of him.
“The division is crazy right now. I feel like a lot of these guys are counting me out, so don’t count me out just yet. I’m still here, and I’m going to prove (it). It’s just a matter of me getting a good fight, and I’m going to show up great, I’m sure about it.”
Targeting a May return, dos Anjos currently sits at No. 7 in the UFC’s lightweight rankings. He’s excited at the possibilities that lie ahead.
That said, he’s staying ready for any opportunity and is even willing to jump straight into a title fight if somebody drops out.
“Of course I want to fight for the title, so if that title is vacant – since the champion retired, I was the last guy. Me and Conor (McGregor) were the last guys to have the real belt,” dos Anjos said. “All the other guys, they were interim champions. We were the real champions. So being a real champion, like a linear champion once, I think the fight with Dustin (Poirier) would make sense.
“I know there are some guys ahead of me in the rankings, but whatever. I’ll be ready. I’ll make sure I’m ready if something happens, somebody gets hurt. I’ll make sure I get my body ready and be ready to go and take on any opportunity that appears to me.”
No stranger to adversity, dos Anjos has made a career of bouncing back. He found success at both 155 and 170 pounds and he still has one more run left in him.
“Chandler, he beat Dan Hooker, but he still has a lot to do,” dos Anjos said. “He can’t go straight for the title. He just got on the bus. He can’t sit at the window right away. So I’ve been on this bus for 14 years, my man. Don’t try to drive the bus or sit on the window. So I’m there.
“Don’t count me out just yet. I’m here. I’m going to prove it. I’m patient, as always. My first UFC fight was back in 2008, and I fought for the title in 2015, so it took me a while – but I went there. It’s there. It’s hanging here (on my wall). Then I fought for the 170 belt. Now I’m coming back for the 155-pound strap, and don’t count me out just yet.”
Rafael dos Anjos still gunning for UFC lightweight title: ‘Don’t count me out just yet’
