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Former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos has revealed that he was about to be fired from the promotion way before he became the 155 lbs champion.
In a recent interview with Morning Kombat, the 36-year-old fight game veteran said that ahead of his UFC debut, he was told he would be cut if he lost even one fight.
Not only did he lose his first fight, but he also ended up losing his third. However, he still managed to stick around and make it to the top in the UFC.
Rafael dos Anjos has only managed to win one out of his last five fights inside the Octagon. His solitary win came against Kevin Lee at a UFC Fight Night event back in May 2019.
Although he lost four out of his last five fights, all his losses came against top contenders in the 170lbs division - Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman, Leon Edwards, and Michael Chiesa respectively.
When asked if he believes his upcoming lightweight clash against Paul Felder is a do-or-die matchup for him, dos Anjos said that he looks at every fight like it is the most important of his life.
The Brazilian went on to say that he is even more motivated to reinvent himself as a fighter even at the age of 36 because of his two-year-old kid back at home.
"I will be champion again", claims Rafael dos Anjos
Rafael dos Anjos said that it is the sense of responsibility towards his family that keeps him motivated to learn new things and to strive to be a better fighter at the twilight stage of his career. Dos Anjos further stated that he believes he has another championship run left in him
"I don't want to hang on in the UFC just to be another fighter on the roster. I want to wrap the belt around my waist again. I'm a very competitive guy and I don't like to lose. I made the adjustments that I had to make and I have the mindset to become a lightweight champion again."
