Rafael dos Anjos has spoken out on his UFC 225 defeat.
In the co-main event of UFC 225, dos Anjos took on Colby Covington inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The bout went the distance. In the end, Covington captured the interim UFC welterweight championship via unanimous decision.
This is the first defeat for dos Anjos since moving up to the welterweight division. He had gone 3-0 at 170 pounds prior to taking on “Chaos.” He is sure to fall from his number one spot on the UFC lightweight rankings.
Following the loss, dos Anjos took to Instagram to release the following statement:
“Hey guys, I want to thank you all for the messages and the support. I am a very competitive guy and I confess I never know how to handle defeat. I did my best inside the octagon, I had the support of the best coaches in the world. The result was not mine, but nothing will make me give up. I am a challenge driven guy and this is just another one in my way. In 2014, after the fight against Khabib, I worked very hard, and with God’s blessing, 11 months later I became the Lightweight champion. This time it won’t be any different. I got the chance to fight for the interim belt after only three fights in the welterweight division. My path in this weight class has just started.”
As for Covington, he’s set for a title unification bout against Tyron Woodley in the near future. Woodley has fully recovered from a torn bicep. The two were once American Top Team teammates, but are now rivals.
MMA News provided live coverage of UFC 225. We were on the scene in Chicago for the festivities. Peep the homepage for exclusive interviews, scrums, highlights, results, and post-fight madness.
Do you think Rafael dos Anjos will be able to bounce back?