Dos Anjos wants to face Woodley (Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC)
With just one fight at welterweight, Rafael dos Anjos He is already starting to make plans to compete for the category belt. If you pass by Neil Magny at UFC 215, this Saturday (09), in Edmonton (CAN), the former lightweight champion is close to facing Tyron woodley, current weight champion. According to the carioca, the fight will not be defined by the hands of the side judges.
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“I don't see this fight going to a decision, I'm going in hard to finish or knock out. I'm a better fighter than him, I have quality on the feet and on the ground and I've already made the adjustments I had to make when I fought in Singapore. I'm in better shape than I was in Singapore. (…) I'm ready for Saturday. Woodley has been stopped for a while and I hope the next step is the title, the opportunity, but it all depends on the result, on how it will be on Saturday now”, he declared, in an interview with the Combate channel website.
With 11 wins in the last 13 duels, Magny, number 6 in the under-77kg ranking, doesn't 'scare' the Brazilian. Although he recognizes the American's qualities, Dos Anjos guarantees that his rival's style of play will favor him inside the Octagon.
“Neil is a guy who has good gas, I don't think he's very good in any area, but he does a little bit of everything. And he has very good physical conditioning. I think his strongest point is his physical conditioning. He's a long, tall guy, but I have no problem fighting tall guys, I even fight well against guys taller than me. It's going to be a good fight, Magny is well placed in the rankings and this will be a good opportunity for me”, said Rafa, who concluded by stating that his time to fight for the welterweight title is coming.
“This category took a hit, the Tyron woodley would fight against Georges St-Pierre, but Dana wasn't satisfied with the fight and GSP will face Michael Bisping. In other words: the category is messed up and now is the time to come. I think Woodley is a tough guy, I have a lot of respect for him. The guy defended the title three times in a period of a year or so, but I think everyone makes mistakes. He’s a strong guy, he just wants to explode “in his own good way”. I'm going to make him explode when he's not going to explode, I'm going to push the pace of the fight, I have good physical condition. Getting tired I don't remember being tired and losing a fight due to tiredness. I think I have the opportunity to push the pace of the fight and make him fight me,” he concluded.
Rafael dos Anjos, 32 years old, won the lightweight belt in March 2015, when he beat Anthony Pettis and defended the title against Donald Cerrone, in December of the same year. Rafa was chosen to face Conor McGregor in a superfight, but ended up getting injured and only returned to the octagon in July 2016, when he was surprised by Eddie Alvarez and lost the title. He then lost again, this time to Tony Ferguson, last November. After the setback, he decided to move up to welterweight, where he has already beaten Tarec saffiedine, in June this year. In total, the Brazilian has a professional record of 26 wins and nine losses.
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