It looks like former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos has his eyes targeted on former interim champion Justin Gaethje.
Following some commentary by Gaethje’s manager Ali Abdelaziz on social media, it was clear dos Anjos had a bone to pick with him. Essentially, the post from Abdelaziz described the lightweight division as scared to face Gaethje at this point.
After some time, dos Anjos replied to Abdelaziz and said he is more than ready to accept a fight. In fact, the Brazilian went so far as to say that he is ready to sign the contract now.
Rafael dos Anjos Ready To Get Back In The Cage
Recently, dos Anjos got back in the winning column after a thrilling fight with Paul Felder, while it was closely contested, in the end, dos Anjos got his hand raised. It looks as though the Brazilian is eager to get back into the cage as the former champion understands the value of being active.
“Guess who’s the highest ranking available?” dos Anjos posted on Twitter. “I’m on it. Send me the contract.”
With Gaethje coming off a title loss, and ranked at number two, a fight against the No.7 ranked dos Anjos wouldn’t be a bad fight to return for. Prior to the title loss, Gaethje amassed an impressive four-fight win streak and his round 5 stoppage win over Tony Ferguson was the cherry on top. However, it should go without saying that Gaethje will have his hands full with the Brazilian because “RDA’s” pressure style tends to cook opponents over time.
Granted, Gaethje sits a bit higher in the rankings, the fight is garnering a lot of intrigue after the war of words between dos Anjos and Gaethje’s manager Abdelaziz. Overall, the fight would be a fun clash of styles and would perhaps give fans a taste of what it’s like to see Gaethje utilize his NCAA Division I All-American skills. Certainly, those skills will be put to the test if he ends up taking the fight with dos Anjos as takedowns are always so prevalent yet unpredictable when the former champion straps on the gloves.
If this lightweight scrap were to materialize, who would you favor, Justin Gaethje or Rafael dos Anjos? Let us know below what you think!