Former UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael dos Anjos has provided a somber yet determined update regarding his fighting future.
The 41-year-old veteran revealed on social media this week that he has undergone his third knee surgery in just 14 months, a staggering physical toll that would force most athletes into immediate retirement.
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However, the former UFC lightweight champion is refusing to let his story end on an operating table, insisting that he still has “a couple of fights left” in the tank as he chases a career milestone. The Brazilian star has been sidelined since his ill-fated bout against Geoff Neal at UFC 308 in October 2024.
That fight ended in disaster just 90 seconds into the first round when dos Anjos suffered a severe leg injury, marking the second time in his career that he was hospitalized immediately following a contest. Since that night in Abu Dhabi, his recovery has been plagued by setbacks, pushing his return timeline further and further into the future.
Despite the adversity, dos Anjos remains fixated on his 50th professional fight, a landmark achievement that few fighters at the elite level ever reach. In his emotional statement to fans, dos Anjos stated that his motivation has shifted entirely away from financial incentives.
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“I’m fighting for legacy, not money,” he wrote on Instagram, dismissing any notion that he is lingering in the sport simply to cash in on the UFC’s lucrative new era on Paramount+. The veteran, who made his promotional debut back in 2008, has seen the organization evolve from the Spike TV days to the FOX era, the ESPN partnership, and now into the streaming giant’s portfolio.
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His desire to compete in this new landscape is driven by a need to leave the sport on his own terms, rather than being forced out by injury. Dos Anjos’ resilience is well-documented. His path to the title was anything but smooth, marked by a rocky 0-2 start in the UFC that nearly saw him cut from the roster.
He clawed his way back, eventually capturing the lightweight gold in 2015 with a dominant performance against Anthony Pettis. He went on to defend the belt against Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone before losing it to Eddie Alvarez in 2016.
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