Rafael dos Anjos handled his knockout loss to Rafael Fiziev at UFC on ESPN 39 with the utmost class.
Dos Anjos (32-14 MMA, 20-12 UFC), a former UFC lightweight champion, had his night brought to a sudden halt on Saturday when Fiziev (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) caught him with a huge punch in the fifth round that led to a stoppage at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
It was a tough setback for the Brazilian, who had been making a charge up the 155-pound pecking order in pursuit of regaining the UFC title he lost in 2016. It didn’t go his way, but as always, dos Anjos was gracious in defeat (via Twitter):
Congrats @RafaelFiziev great win. It was a fun one…you caught me good on that one. Enjoy your victory.
— Rafael dos Anjos (@RdosAnjosMMA) July 10, 2022
Congrats @RafaelFiziev great win. It was a fun one…you caught me good on that one. Enjoy your victory.
Fiziev showed all respect in return to dos Anjos, who is just one of 10 fighters to reach 20 career victories under the UFC banner. The surging contender added a big scalp to his resume with the win, and is now poised for a run toward the top of the division (via Twitter):
Nothing but respect to the future hall of famer @RdosAnjosMMA
Thanks for the opportunity 🤝
