On this day 9 years ago, Khabib Nurmagomedov earned a hard-fought victory against Rafael dos Anjos

Khabib Nurmagomedov's clash against Rafael dos Anjos is widely regarded as one of the toughest MMA fights of the UFC legend's career. While Nurmagomedov ended up winning the fight on the judges' scorecards, Dos Anjos truly made him work hard for the victory.

'The Eagle' faced 'RDA' in a three-round lightweight bout at UFC on Fox: Werdum vs. Browne, aka UFC on Fox 11. The event transpired on April 19, 2014, nine years ago on this very day.

In round one, Dos Anjos showcased his superior striking skills in short bursts of aggression. However, he was unable to utilize his technical striking prowess for prolonged periods, as Nurmagomedov constantly attempted and secured takedowns, turning the fight into a grappling-heavy affair.

Much of the same followed in round two, as 'RDA' found himself getting progressively overwhelmed by his Dagestani foe's grappling.

Rafael Dos Anjos, to his credit, attempted to ensnare Khabib Nurmagomedov with a guillotine choke but couldn't secure a tight grip and tap him out.

In the third and final round, Nurmagomedov took the Brazilian MMA stalwart to the mat and landed a few vicious ground strikes. Dos Anjos managed to make it to the final bell but was noticeably exhausted courtesy of the relentless grappling sequences that 'The Eagle' had put him through.

All three octagon-side judges scored the fight 30-27 for Khabib Nurmagomedov, declaring him the winner via unanimous decision.

Watch the Nurmagomedov vs. Dos Anjos fight in the video below:

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When Rafael dos Anjos claimed a better fight camp could've helped him beat Khabib Nurmagomedov

Following his loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Rafael dos Anjos bounced back and won multiple fights en route to capturing the UFC lightweight title. Nurmagomedov also subsequently won the UFC lightweight title. 'The Eagle' amassed a 29-0 MMA record and retired in October 2020. Meanwhile, 'RDA' continues to compete in the UFC to this day.

Speaking to former UFC heavyweight titleholder Fabricio Werdum on the Nem Me Viu podcast last year, Rafael dos Anjos explained that he suffered a freak ear injury three months before his fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The injury prevented him from undergoing grappling training for about four to six weeks. Suggesting that a better fight camp could've helped him defeat 'The Eagle,' Dos Anjos stated:

"I didn't do grappling training for that fight... I did more like a Muay Thai training, striking training, to fight the best grappler in UFC history... 40 days after that fight, I fought again. In other words, he didn't hurt me at all... If I had trained well, better grappling and all, I would have been able to do better..." [h/t Brazilian MMA Legends on YouTube]

Watch RDA's assessment below: