Rafael dos Anjos requests to be removed from UFC lightweight rankings, eyes welterweight return in July

Former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos wants to ride out the rest of his career at welterweight.

Dos Anjos (32-16 MMA, 21-14 UFC) has bounced between 155 and 170 pounds in the past seven years. His most recent appearance came at UFC 299 in March when he lost a unanimous decision to Mateusz Gamrot.

But now dos Anjos, who’s ranked No. 14 in the UFC’s lightweight rankings, intends on moving back up to welterweight.

“Get me out of LW rankings. For you LW out there calling me out I don’t compete at LW now on. I have nothing to prove to nobody, I walk around 195 at 39 years old. There’s lots of fights that make sense to me at 170. I want to fight in July @ufc get me back in that octagon.”

Get me out of LW rankings. For you LW out there calling me out I don’t compete at LW now on. I have nothing to prove to nobody, I walk around 195 at 39 years old. There’s lots of fights that make sense to me at 170.
I want to fight in July @ufc get me back in that octagon.

— Rafael dos Anjos (@RdosAnjosMMA) May 15, 2024

Dos Anjos’ first run at welterweight included three straight wins over Tarec Saffiedine, Neil Magny, and Robbie Lawler, which resulted in an interim title fight vs. Colby Covington in June 2018. He lost a competitive unanimous decision and is 5-5 at 170 pounds. His most recent win came in a second-round submission of Bryan Barberena in December 2022.