5 Things You Might Not Know About Rafael dos Anjos

Rafael dos Anjos still has some competitive thirst he needs to quench.

The 38-year-old Brazilian will set out in search of a 22nd Ultimate Fighting Championship victory when he confronts Kill Cliff Fight Club’s Vicente Luque in the UFC on ESPN 51 welterweight headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Dos Anjos has won three of his past four bouts. He last appeared on Dec. 3, when he put away Bryan Barberena with a neck crank in the second round of their UFC on ESPN 42 encounter. It was his first finish in more than three years.

As dos Anjos moves ever closer to his forthcoming battle with Luque at 170 pounds, here are five things you might not know about him:

1. Initial adversity emboldened him.

Dos Anjos made his professional mixed martial arts debut at the age of 19 on Sept. 25, 2004 and wound up on the wrong side of a split decision against Adriano Abu at a Juiz de Fora Fight event. He lost twice in his first four appearances, then rattled off nine consecutive victories to punch his ticket to the UFC.

2. He has made the rounds in terms of training.

The worldly Brazilian has operated out of Evolve MMA, Kings MMA, RVCA and Nova Uniao during his career. Dos Anjos’ travels have brought him into contact with some of the sport’s most revered coaches, including Rafael Cordeiro, Andre Pederneiras and Jason Parillo.

3. His time at the top was brief.

Dos Anjos captured the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight crown when he took a unanimous decision from Anthony Pettis at UFC 185 on March 14, 2015. He made one successful title defense, then surrendered it in a first-round technical knockout loss to Eddie Alvarez on July 7, 2016. Dos Anjos’ 481-day reign ranks as the fifth-shortest in the history of the 155-pound weight class. Only Alvarez (128 days), Charles Oliveira (357 days), Jens Pulver (393 days) and Sean Sherk (420 days) spent less time atop the division.

4. No one can match his staying power.

The longtime Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt remains the only UFC competitor to eclipse eight hours of fight time inside the Octagon. Dos Anjos’ current total sits at 8:01:49—ahead of Frankie Edgar (7:57:10), Max Holloway (7:15:47), Demian Maia (6:49:40) and Clay Guida (6:44:36).

5. Longevity completes the picture.

Dos Anjos has fought in three different decades. In addition to his 3-2 mark in the 2020s, he went 17-8 in the 2010s and 12-4 in the 2000s. A model of consistency, dos Anjos has fought at least once in every calendar year of his career, with the exception of 2021.