Rafael Dos Anjos vs Michael Chiesa Agreed for UFC Raleigh
It looks like Randy Brown won’t get that big jiu-jitsu test he was looking for against Michael Chiesa. Recently, ESPN’s Brett Okamoto broke the news that Chiesa will be taking on Rafael Dos Anjos during the UFC Raleigh card. Also, the card is scheduled to take place on January 25th of 2020.
Okamoto broke the news via his Twitter account. He announced that the fight was agreed upon according to his sources.
Breaking: Rafael dos Anjos vs. Michael Chiesa agreed to for UFC Fight Night on Jan. 25 in Raleigh, North Carolina, per sources.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) November 21, 2019
Dos Anjos and Chiesa at 170lbs
Dos Anjos has had erratic outings since moving up to the UFC’s welterweight division. So far, he has a 4-3 record as a welterweight. In his last contest, he fought to a decision loss against Leon “Rocky” Edwards. However, RDA has showcased enough skill for fans to consider him a threat to any fighter in the division. Because he has 41 professional fights under his belt, RDA is considered by many to be Chiesa’s first real test in the 170lb division.
Chiesa, on the other hand, is riding a two-fight win streak in his last two outings. Ironically, the two fights were both Chiesa’s welterweight debut and his last fight against Diego Sanchez. The “Maverick” outpointed Sanchez at UFC 239 to win the bout via unanimous decision.
Now, RDA is ranked #5 in the UFC’s welterweight rankings. Considering his placement in the division, RDA could be Chiesa’s golden ticket to being ranked if he were to win the bout. Additionally, if Mike performs to a high enough level, it could potentially lead to a title shot coming sooner than later.
Analyzing UFC Raleigh
UFC Raleigh will be the first event that the promotion has ever hosted in the city. Also, it will be the second event in North Carolina since 2018. Here’s what matchups are expected to take place on the card so far:
Heavyweight Curtis Blaydes vs. Junior dos Santos
Bantamweight Cory Sandhagen vs. Frankie Edgar
Welterweight Rafael dos Anjos vs. Michael Chiesa
Women’s Flyweight Justine Kish vs. Lucie Pudilová
Middleweight Bevon Lewis vs. Alen Amedovski
Light Heavyweight Jamahal Hill vs. Darko Stošić
Bantamweight Montel Jackson vs. Felipe Colares
Featherweight Herbert Burns vs. Nate Landwehr
Also, there are some fights on the card yet to be announced. UFC Raleigh takes place on January 25th at the PNC Arena.
