Rafael dos Anjos has had responses from Dan Hooker and a few other UFC fighters in response to his callout proposing a fight in July or August. RDA issued a generic callout to anyone ready for a showdown in the summer. Hooker, one of the most game fighters in the UFC, wrote in response:
"Smash ya face in."
While he is one of the most entertaining fighters to have ever stepped foot inside the octagon, Dan Hooker has not found success of late. 'The Hangman' is currently on a two-fight skid and has gone 1-4 in his last five, albeit against elite competition. Meanwhile, RDA is riding a two-fight winning streak and is looking to make his way into lightweight title contention.
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Apart from Hooker, surging prospects Rafael Fiziev and Mateusz Gamrot are also prepared to fight Dos Anjos this summer.
Fiziev was previously scheduled to face RDA at UFC 272 but had to pull out after testing positive for COVID-19. Renato Moicano replaced him on short notice and was thoroughly outclassed by Dos Anjos on his way to a lopsided decision loss.
Meanwhile, Gamrot is riding a three-fight winning streak, with all his victories coming via finishes. The surging Polish prospect was previously a two-division champ at KSW.
Rafael dos Anjos is not interested in up and comers
Having been in the UFC for more than a decade, Rafael dos Anjos might be nearing the end of his career. The former lightweight champion now only wants to take on seasoned fighters irrespective of their ranking.
The 37-year-old, currently rehabbing in Brazil, also expressed his disinterest in up-and-comers. Additionally, RDA mentioned Conor McGregor, Colby Covington, and Jorge Masvidal as potential opponents. Dos Anjos said on the Super Lutas YouTube channel:
“At the moment, I’m recovering and going back to training. Right now, I see myself fighting in July. That’s when I want to fight. I came to Brazil to stay active. I want to fight three times this year. We have several options and like I said on my post-fight interview, I want fights that motivate me to train. No matter whether the opponent is above or below me in the rankings. I don’t want to fight any up-and-comers. I want seasoned guys, like Masvidal, Covington and Conor McGregor.”
Watch RDA's interview below: