Issue 162

December 2017

Rejuvenated after two fights at a new weight class, the former UFC champion is already targeting another title.

One year ago, Rafael dos Anjos was at a low ebb. Having lost his lightweight world title to Eddie Alvarez in the summer, he’d taken another step back in another defeat to Tony Ferguson.

Drained by the stresses of a hard weight cut, he couldn’t match ‘El Cucuy’ over 25 minutes and looked dejected when the decision was announced.

Fast forward to June 2017, and ‘RDA’ looks like a changed man. He looked fresh and full of energy for his 170lb debut and cruised to a unanimous decision win against former Strikeforce champion Tarec Saffeidine.

If that announced his arrival at welterweight, his next win announced him as a true contender for a historic second belt. The Brazilian dominated Neil Magny, slicing through his guard like a 100-degree knife through butter, before squeezing the air out of him with a crushing arm triangle choke in the second round.

This looked like the same pressurizing, fast-paced and powerful force that had ruled at 155lb and he sent a message that he was ready to do the same thing in a new division.

The UFC recognized that and booked him in a fight against Robbie Lawler in December where a win could put him to the front of the queue for a title shot.

Ahead of that fight, this is how a move up in weight has helped him rediscover his best form and how he believes he stacks up with the rest of the top contenders.

How does it feel to have two big wins in a new division after a difficult year?

It feels good. 2016 was a tough year for me but I made a change in my weight class and I feel better now.

I think I’m fighting at my best. For many years, I cut the weight to 155 but it was getting really hard. I think I’m getting more mature – I’ve just turned 33 – but I think I’m getting faster, stronger than I was in my 20s.

Unfortunately, it was really hard to cut the weight and I want to enjoy my life as well. I want to have fun in all my training camps and everything.

How do you feel compared to fighting at 155lb?

I feel way better at 170. The fight week and the whole fight camp is way less stressful. It just changed my life. I enjoy my training more, I’m happier, I’m stronger, I’m not getting hurt at all in training. It’s good to be in good spirits when you’ve got a fight coming up.

How was the weight cut affecting you at lightweight?

It was affecting me big time – especially my last fights against (Eddie) Alvarez and Tony Ferguson. It was really hard for me to make the weight. I had such a hard time cutting to 155 and I think it affected my performance. I learned with those two losses. Bad things happen in your life so you can learn and make change, and I did it.

How much weight do you have to cut now?

I still have to cut some weight in fight week, about 15lb, which is not that bad because I still have energy. It doesn’t even compare. At lightweight, I’d be 20-22lb over in fight week and I’d been training already. At 170 I still have energy.

Why are people wrong to say you’re not big enough for 170?

When people say I’m not big enough they’ve never met me in person. Just because I’m not tall doesn’t mean I’m not heavy. I’m thick. It’s part of my genetics. I have a big head, big feet and big bones. They don’t know how you cut weight. They never cut weight or fought.

Do you think it fair to rank you at number five in the rankings?

Of course! I beat the number six guy and the other guy that was tied on the ranking at number six was Donald Cerrone, who I beat twice.

How would you match yourself up against Masvidal, Thompson, Maia, Lawler and Woodley?

I think I’m a top-five welterweight and I’m coming strong in that division. Man, I think I could face any of these guys with no problem. I think I’ve proved it once in my last fight against a tough guy in Tarec Saffeidine as well as Neil Magny.

Do you think your jiu-jitsu could be more of an advantage against the styles in this division?

Yeah, I’m a very well-rounded fighter. I can fight on the ground, I can fight standing, I can fight everywhere. Just because I’ve been standing in my last fights, people forget about my ground game, which is my background. For sure, I fight against tall guys, I control them well, but for sure, I’ll make sure I use all my weapons in that division.

Do you think some people overlook that part of your game?

People just forget. For my last fight, I did a special focus on my ground game with Romulo Barral and his guys, Edwin Najmi, Gabriel Arges, Victor Silverio, Philipe Della Monica. I made sure I had a good camp and good training partners – strong guys to smash me a lot (laughs). That’s why my ground game was really strong. Every fight that I give more attention to my jiu-jitsu, I get good results.

How pleased were you to get your first submission in five years?

It was really good, man. Like I said, I did a special focus on my jiu-jitsu for this fight and it was great, man. Knocking people out is fun, but submitting people is really cool too.

Which coaches have you been working with, and how have they helped you improve?

The same guys. I’ve been working my Muay Thai with Eduardo Pamplona. When I first moved to California he was the very first guy I trained with, but he left to Mexico. Then I started training with Rafael Cordeiro. Now Eduardo is back. I have my jiu-jitsu guy, Philipe Della Monica, who’s the head instructor at Gracie Barra headquarters in Irvine. We've known each other for 16 years so he’s a very good friend. My strength and conditioning guy, Nick Curzon is always here, and I have Bubba Jenkins helping me too. I did a lot of training at Romulo Barral’s gym.

I had to travel two hours each way but it was worth it. And every year I go to Evolve. It’s always a blessing for me to go to Singapore. This year I went before my last fight and I had a blast there. It’s always good to be learning new tricks.

What will you have to do to get a shot at your second belt?

I have to keep working and doing my job. The fact I’m former world champion means the wait could be shorter. I got the call for the title after my fight with Saffeidine, but Demian Maia ended up taking the fight, but I was in line for that fight. I was ready! My time is going to come. I’m going to keep doing my job and it will happen.

Do you think you'd deserve to be ranked among the all-time greats if you can win another title?

That’s for sure man. First Brazilian lightweight champion and I will be the first Brazilian welterweight champion as well. After that, I will deserve to be among the best of all time and I’m working hard for it.

Rafael dos Anjos: Round numbers

• 16: Number of Octagon wins puts him joint seventh on the all-time list.
• 3rd: degree black belt earned under master Aldo ‘Caveirinha’ Januário.
• 66: His win, in seconds, against Donald Cerrone was the fastest in a 155lb title fight.
• 1: Sig. strikes absorbed from Neil Magny in a near-perfect fight at UFC 215.