Rafael Dos Anjos Moving Up To Welterweight

Former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos is making a big change and that big change is to move to move to a new weight class. After going from the bottom of the lightweight division and moving his way up the ranks and ultimately won the title, he has been on a decline.

Back at UFC 185 in March of 2015, Dos Anjos beat down Anthony Pettis for five rounds to win the title. He would then successfully defend it against Donald Cerrone in December of that same year via first round TKO. However, that year was his peak as a lightweight in the UFC as he then dropped the title to Eddie Alvarez in July of last year and then suffered his second straight/latest loss to Tony Ferguson in November.

On Friday, The former UFC lightweight champion announced that he is moving up to welterweight, ending a nine-year run in the promotion at 155 pounds. According to Dos Anjos, he was having a hard time with the cut weight and now he wants to move up in weight. He posted the following on his official Twitter account:

“I reached the top of (lightweight), (and) it’s been a hard journey make weight every time,” he wrote on Twitter. “Now I want to fight at my best, I have new goals, (and) I’m moving to WW.”

I reached the top of LW,it's been a hard journey make weight every time,now I want to fight at my best,I have new goals, I'm moving to WW

— Rafael dos Anjos (@RdosAnjosMMA) January 6, 2017

Dos Anjos currently does not have his next fight lined up, so it will be interesting to see who the UFC matches him up with.