Rafael dos Anjos did not want to inflict any unnecessary damage to Renato Moicano during their UFC 272 bout.
The Brazilian war between dos Anjos and Moicano ended with the latter losing in a lopsided five-round fight. The former lightweight champion put on a striking clinic against Moicano, leaving him bruised and bloodied.
Speaking after the fight, 'RDA' revealed that while beating up his opponent, he thought cageside physicians would barge in and stop the fight. However, the fight went on and he did what he had to do.
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In his UFC 272 post-fight press conference, dos Anjos said:
"I thought man, I really wanted the doctor to stop it but they did not but you know I gotta do what I gotta do. Unfortunately, I was you know, I was trying to finish the fight. But the guy is tough as a nail."
Watch 'RDA' at the presser below:
Moicano replaced dos Anjos' original opponent, Rafael Fiziev on short notice. Fiziev pulled out due to COVID-19 less than a week before the fight and Moicano, whose last fight was just three weeks ago, stepped in.
"That'll be a big money fight" - Rafael dos Anjos wants to fight Conor McGregor next
Rafael dos Anjos was all in on facing top lightweight contender Islam Makhachev as Rafael Fiziev's replacement at UFC 272. The Dagestani fighter reportedly turned down the offer and the UFC was prompted to appoint Renato Moicano instead.
Despite the big win, 'RDA' is well aware that Moicano is not on the same footing as the likes of Makhachev and Conor McGregor. When asked about possibly facing 'The Notorious' next, dos Anjos confirmed it interests him as he's currently looking for big names.
In the post-fight presser, the Brazilian said:
"Conor is a big name. It's always a lot of pay-per-view, he sells a lot of pay-per-view, that'll be a big money fight of course and we have kind of, we have a history too, you know. Like I've said, I'm looking for names that make me want to go to the gym and train. I don't wanna fight names that don't interest me."
Watch dos Anjos talk about McGregor below: