Rafael Dos Anjos: I Go In The Octagon To Kill A Guy
UFC lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos silenced a lot of critics when he defeated Anthony Pettis at UFC 185. “Showtime” was the heavy favorite to beat RDA in the lead up to their title clash, but it was the Brazilian who got the decision win.
He perhaps silenced just as many critics when he passed the post fight drug test for UFC 185. There seemed to be a common opinion about Dos Anjos; that he was juicing, and the fact there was no random commission testing before the fight raised some eyebrows. One of those eyebrows was Bobby Green’s.
The lightweight Strikeforce veteran came out and said it straight recently, labelling Dos Anjos as a cheater. Talking to MMAFighting.com, the champ was dismissive of Green’s accusations:
“I think this guy wants to bring some attention to him. He can’t do well in the Octagon. He tried to do it another way to bring attention, because he’s doing really bad in the Octagon.”
“Man, I fought three rounds with a broken jaw,” he said. “I fought Evan Dunham with a broken rib. Nobody knows that. I have a strong mentality. When I step in the Octagon, I go to kill a guy.”
RDA defends his ability to fight with a torn MCL as sheer grit, as opposed to gorilla testosterone-fuelled rage. The Brazilian champion acknowledges he has critics, but simply labels them as haters:
“I don’t think I have to prove anything to anybody,” dos Anjos said. “I’ve been in this game for a long time. So, if it’s Cerrone or Khabib or this guy McGregor comes to my division, I’ll make sure I’ll be there.”
“They are haters. They don’t do nothing. They just want to talk bad about people. I do my job. I have millions of fans that support me. I have a great team, I have a great family. This is what drives me to keep training hard and keep reaching my goals.”
So Rafael Dos Anjos may have fought a hard route to the top of the pack at 155 pounds, but he still seems to have many doubters. With “King” booked in to face Al Iaquinta at UFC On FOX 16, and Anthony Pettis vs Myles Jury on the same night, there’s always a chance that Green or a rematch with Pettis could come soon.
If Dos Anjos can defend his belt against two or three top contenders, where would you rank him in the top 10 pound-for-pound list?
