When Rafael dos Anjos made the decision to return to the lightweight division, it was with only one thought in mind: becoming UFC champion again.
With a fight scheduled against Rafael Fiziev in the main event at UFC Vegas 58 on Saturday, the 37-year-old veteran hopes a win will move him closer to another title shot.
Technically, the 155-pound title currently sits vacant. Charles Oliveira, however, is the uncrowned champion. He defeated Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier in three consecutive bouts. He was unable to make up half of his weight in the fight against Gaethje, which ultimately cost him the title.
Dos anjos considers Oliveira to be the best lightweight player right now even though he sees some flaws.
“He is on his moment,” Anjos said to MMA Fighting. “Fighters, it’s all about the mentality. [Charles Oliveira has] got his mental [attitude] on point, and he’s very confident, but we all know he has been knocked out in his fights, and he quit a couple of times. He’s in his element right now. He is very positive. He’s on a good win streak.”
Toughness is perhaps Oliveira’s biggest weapon these days. He’s able to survive fire-fights against knockout artists and then make them pay once the fight turns into a grappling exchange.
Oliveira suffered two knockdowns in the fight against Gaethje. However, Gaethje was unable to resist the temptation of a groundfight. That eventually cost him after Oliveira ended up on the mat and wrapped up a rear-naked choke in the first round.
As much as fighters have avoided grappling with Oliveira at all costs, dos Anjos invites the opportunity to test his Brazilian jiu-jitsu against “Do Bronx.”
“I think guys knock him down, and they run away from his guard,” dos Anjos said. I’m going take this opportunity to get in his guard, and throw him to the ground. That would be a big difference. These guys they knock him down, but they don’t capitalize on it.
“If you see when he took [Dustin] Poirier down, [Poirier] just grabbed him and tried to eat the time. He looked desperate, even though he was at bottom. I play well on the bottom. Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Black Belt, I am able to control my wrist and keep calm at the bottom. With [Justin] Gaethje, he gave the back right away, and once you get in the scrambles and these guys give their back right away, that’s how Charles is good.”
While he doesn’t take anything way from Oliveira’s prowess, dos Anjos knows it would be a much different story if he was caught in those same grappling exchanges.
“He’s very good to take the back and submit people from the back,” dos Anjos explained. I fought amazing guys who take backs well and never got my back. I fought Michael Chiesa, Kevin Lee, even [Renato] Moicano, [and] they got close, but I know how to defend myself.
“These guys, they kind of get desperate and they give their back right away and that’s when you get choked.”
Dos Anjos must first go through Fiziev before he can reach Oliveira or the UFC title. Fiziev has won five consecutive fights, with his best being a spinning wheel-kick knockout of Brad Riddell.
Dos Anjos understands the danger in looking ahead too far without concentrating on what’s in front of him. He has his sights set on fighting for a title in the very near future and he hopes this will be the last fight he faces in the rankings.
“Charles has what everybody wants,” dos Anjos said. That’s why I returned to Brazil to help train and provide for my belt. My focus right now is 100 percentage on Fiziev. I’m sure I’m going to pass him and the fight’s not going to last long, the way that I’m training, the way that I’m feeling. I’m going to pass Fiziev, I’m going to finish him, I can tell you that. Then, there will be no other fight. I’m going to sit down and I’m not going to be fighting these [up and coming] guys.
“That’s the main point that I want to show in this fight against Fiziev. He’s not easy to fight, but he is tough. I’m not going to take that for granted. I am a top-level fighter. I am a champion fighter. I will show July 9, and then I will sit down to watch and wait for the outcome. By the end of the year .”
, I will be fighting for the title.
Dos anjos doesn’t expect a straightforward fight against Fiziev. He knows that this fight will be against Fiziev, a veteran who has been fighting for five years.
Of course, dos Anjos respects Fiziev’s tremendous power and the flashy moves that have brought a fast rise in the ranks, but he promises to give the Kyrgyzstan native a rude welcome against an elite top-ranked lightweight.
“He can do [the flashy moves] with other guys, but I’ll show him otherwise on July 9,” dos Anjos said. “I’m not here to play around. I won’t lose. I can’t lose. I’m going to bring everything I’ve got. He will be finished. All I have is up for him. But a highlight reel performance will put me in a better position for my call out.
“I’m in the position where I refuse to lose. I will not lose. Although I had a good life in California, I didn’t feel fulfilled so I returned to Brazil. Nova Uniao is where I am going, and I will be training in the favella. I brought my family to Brazil, my kids, so I’m not playing around. At 37 years old, I’m not playing around. The same champion mentality drives me. I would like to become a champion once again. That’s going to happen. It’s going to happen .”
.
