Dana White names Rafael dos Anjos as the next challenger for the lightweight belt

R. dos Anjos (photo) won his third victory in a row. Photo: Reproduction

After running over the North American Nate diaz this Saturday (13), in the co-main fight of UFC on FOX 13, Rafael dos Anjos returned to demand a shot at the lightweight belt against Anthony Pettis. At the post-event press conference, the Brazilian received good news from President Dana White: his dream could be close to becoming a reality. For this, however, Rafael will need to count on the absence of the first place in line, the Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov, who has been recovering from injury since April this year.

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“If Khabib (Nurmagomedov) was healthy now, he would probably be the one (to fight for the belt). But he's not. So it’s (Rafael) dos Santos”, said the manager, who also revealed champion Pettis’ interest in holding the duel. “For the record, Pettis texted me after the fight and said, 'Wow! He killed Diaz'. And also: 'I'm ready. I fight him. If Khabib is healthy, I'll fight him. If he is not there, I fight with the Rafael dos Anjos”, said the leader, eliciting an excited smile from the Brazilian.

When asked about his immediate plans, also at the press conference, Rafael was direct. “I want to be the first Brazilian to hold the UFC lightweight belt. After the fight with Khabib, I fought three times. I beat Jason High, the Ben henderson and hit the Nate diaz tonight. I would love to have a title shot. I've been in the UFC for six years, I have 17 fights and I moved to California to pursue my dreams”, commented the Rio native.

At 30, Rafael dos Anjos has a professional record of 23 wins and seven losses. With the triumph over Nate diaz at UFC on FOX 13, Rafael reached an impressive eight wins in his last nine fights. The Brazilian is currently number three in the official lightweight rankings.