Former UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael dos Anjos believes he exposed Islam Makhachev.
RDA was expected to share the Octagon with Rafael Fiziev this past Saturday night (March 5). The bout was set to be featured on the UFC 272 card in Las Vegas. Fiziev had to pull out of the fight and Renato Moicano ended up replacing him.
In the end, dos Anjos earned the unanimous decision victory. Before Moicano stepped up, Makhachev was in play to face RDA on short notice. Ultimately, UFC President Dana White said Makhachev turned down the fight despite claiming he’d take it on social media.
RDA On Makhachev Fiasco
Rafael dos Anjos served as a guest on The MMA Hour and he told Ariel Helwani that he feels Islam Makhachev shot himself in the foot by claiming he’d take the fight.
“You guys hear what Dana said? Islam didn’t wanna take the fight and I said 165 like Bobby Green did with him at 160. He couldn’t do 165 and then he said 170. Then they called me, ‘Okay, Islam wants to go 170.’ I said, ‘Okay, I’ll go 170. No problem.’ I even showed a picture of my scale here.
“After training, I was 171. Then the next morning they were like, ‘No, no we’re not taking the fight.’ I called his bluff, I think that’s what it was. He and his gym probably thought that, ‘RDA will never take this fight at 170.'”
RDA went on to claim that the word going around is that Makhachev intentionally priced himself out of the fight.
“No, I heard he asked for $1 million or something.”
RDA Happy For Beneil Dariush
Since Makhachev didn’t take the short-notice fight with RDA, Dana White has revealed plans to reschedule his fight with Beneil Dariush. RDA is delighted with that bit of news.
“It feels great, man. It feels really good. I even texted Beneil, ‘Now I got your fight back.’ That’s the price he pays for playing these little games. He had his title shot secured and now he’s gonna fight another one.”
RDA has made it clear that he’s looking to make one last run before eventually exiting the world of MMA competition. Time will tell if he’ll ever get to share the Octagon with Makhachev.
