Rafael dos
Anjos did not get to celebrate his birthday in the way that he
imagined.
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The former lightweight champion suffered an apparent knee injury
early in his 170-pound clash against Geoff Neal at
UFC
308, which led to a technical knockout loss 90 seconds into
Round 1.
“I think it was on my second kick thrown, me and Neal kicked at the
same time and I felt a big snap, a big pop behind my knee,” dos
Anjos said in a video on his Instagram stories. “Throughout my
whole UFC career, it’s my second time being hospitalized after the
fight and it makes me realize how blessed I am. It’s a very tough
sport, and going to the hospital only twice in your whole career is
a good number.”
Dos Anjos has lost three straight Octagon appearances and four of
his last five bouts overall dating back to July 2022. Despite those
struggles, the Brazilian veteran plans to continue with his MMA
career once he recovers from his latest injury. Dos Anjos did not
offer specifics on the injury.
Thank you all fight fans for the support, sorry I let you guys
down. Definitely it was not how I want to celebrate my 40th
birthday, it was a tough loss,” dos Anjos wrote in a separate
Instagram post. “During my whole UFC career it’s my second time
[being] hospitalized after a fight. It make me feel blessed, it
could been worse, it’s a tough game. Time to heal up, enjoy the
family. I’m not done yet, I’ll be back soon. God bless you all.
I’ll keep you guys updated on my stories.”