What’s the story?
The32-year-old Brazilian MMA fighter and former UFC Lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos has been one of best Lightweights on the planet. On, two different occasions he has had a five or more fight win streak in the Octagon. Dos Anjos lost the belt the previous year to Eddie Alvarez.
He also lost his next fight against Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson at The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3 Finale: dos Anjos vs Ferguson. It seems like after two consecutive losses the former Champion has given up on his hopes to reclaim the UFC Lightweight title.
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According to Mmajunkie.com, the Brazilian is moving to a new weight class. On Friday, the former UFC Lightweight champion announced that he will be stepping up to the Welterweight division. He tweeted the following:
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Dos Anjos won the Lightweight title by defeating Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis. He later knocked out Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone in just 66 seconds in his first title defence. His victory over ‘Cowboy’ had completed another five-fight win streak inside the Octagon.
In his other five-fight win streak he also defeated top Lightweight fighters like Benson Henderson and Nate Diaz.
The heart of the matter
Dos Anjos looked sluggish and out of sync in his last fight against Ferguson, which resulted in him losing back-to-back fights for the first time in almost eight years. So, back-to-back defeats, sluggish performances at Lightweight and difficulty in cutting weight have led to dos Anjos making this switch.
Also, the highly increasing level of competition at Lightweight with McGregor now being the champion and Khabib back to full fitness may also be factors in his decision.
What next?
Dos Anjos has announced that his decision to switch to 170 lbs is primarily because of weight cutting issues. His move to 170 is a double-edged sword. ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone has effortlessly moved up to 170 from 155 lbs but he was always a big Lightweight.
Cerrone is 183 cms tall with a reach of 73”, Anjos is quite smaller with a reach of 70” and is about 173 cms. Most fighters at 170-lbs will be bigger than Dos Anjos. It is still unknown who RDA will face in his Welterweight debut.
Sportskeeda’s take
Lightweight has been the most talent-filled and dangerous weight class in the UFC. Facing fighters like McGregor, Khabib, Ferguson, Barboza and Diaz among others can be a daunting task even for the best fighters.
Also, weight cutting can be a major issue for a lot of fighters. It takes a serious toll on their bodies, energy and can even reduce striking power. We might get to see a whole new level to RDA’s game. However, it’s certain that competing against bigger Welterweights like Thompson, Woodley and Lawler will be a herculean task.
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