— Rafael dos Anjos (@RdosAnjosMMA)
October 8, 2020
Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on
your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the
ESPN app. The
Ultimate Fighting Championship’s upcoming six-fight main card
pay-per-view has taken a hit. Rafael dos
Anjos posted on Twitter
on Thursday night that he has contracted COVID-19 and can no longer
compete at
UFC 254. Dos Anjos was set to face Islam
Makhachev on the main card, which is set to go down on Oct. 24
on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is unclear if
the promotion will seek a replacement or if Makhachev will be
removed from the event altogether.
Dos Anjos made a change in camps from his own RDA Academy and
splitting time with Evolve MMA to
go down to Nova Uniao and train with Andre
Pederneiras and Jose Aldo. The
former lightweight king has lost four of five bouts, with a
fourth-round submission triumph over Kevin Lee the
lone bright spot dating back nearly three years. Dos Anjos moved up
to welterweight after a loss to Tony
Ferguson in 2016, and he rattled off three wins over Robbie
Lawler, Neil Magny
and Tarec
Saffiedine to prove he belonged in the division. Since the
Lawler win, dos Anjos has gone on the aforementioned four of five
losing stretch, prompting the return back to 155 pounds.
Makhachev is looking to keep it rolling after six straight wins at
lightweight. The Russian’s lone career blemish a knockout at the
hands of Adriano
Martins, Makhachev has not looked back by recording victories
over names like Davi Ramos,
Nik
Lentz and Gleison
Tibau. Dos Anjos was to be Makhachev’s first ranked opponent,
as the Brazilian is
currently Sherdog’s #9 ranked welterweight. Makhachev’s own win
streak has placed him
on the bubble of the top 15 at lightweight.
On his Twitter,
dos Anjos wrote:
Life is like those things that we don’t understand now, but that
will be revealed in the future. I left the comfort zone in the
United States to come to Rio de Janeiro and restart my career. The
stay was the best possible, feeling the warmth of my wonderful
city, breathing the smell that only the ocean here has, and sharing
the joy of the priceless smiles of my people even hidden behind the
masks.
“Being able to be taken care of by the health professionals who are
the best in the world and who I trust with my eyes closed,
experiencing the training with the best coaches and other
professionals who struggle every day to achieve their dreams. I
came to rescue my dream of becoming a champion again, and that goal
was achieved. Sharing my experiences with the Nova Uniao team and
learning many details to improve my game and close the gaps in the
future, none of this was in vain.
“Unfortunately I will not be able to compete on the 24th. COVID-19
caught me big time and the doctors cut me out. But soon I will be
back victorious inside the Octagon! Nothing can take away the
blessing that is upon us. God will provide.”
UFC 254 will roll on at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 24,
where the lightweight title unification battle of Khabib
Nurmagomedov vs. Justin
Gaethje sits atop the lineup. The co-main event at
middleweight, Robert
Whittaker takes on Jared
Cannonier for a potential title shot, and Alexander
Volkov locks horns with Walt Harris
at heavyweight on the main card as well.