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Islam Makhachev's accusation that Rafael dos Anjos faked an injury hasn't sat well with the former UFC lightweight champion.
Taking to Twitter to mock his upcoming opponent, dos Anjos said he doesn't have to rely on another man to pay his bills. His jibe hinted at Makhachev's dependency on Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Dismissing Makhachev's claim, dos Anjos suggested he wouldn't fake an injury just to avoid a fight because he has recently recovered from a "terrible injury."
"Do you really think I would fake a surgery? Coming out of another terrible injury. Unlike you, I have a family that depends on me and I don’t have another man paying my bills."
Makhachev and Khabib grew up together in Dagestan and share a brotherly relationship. Both were trained by one of Russia's greatest combat sports coaches, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.
Following his recent fight against Thiago Moises, Makahchev said the cost of his fight camp was covered by 'The Eagle'.
RafaDos Anjos and Makhachev have been trading barbs ever since they were first rumored to be fighting each other. The UFC finally booked their clash for UFC 267. However, the matchup now seemingly hangs by a thread after Makhachev's claims about dos Anjos' apparent injury.
Rafael dos Anjos' second stint at lightweight
Rafael dos Anjos became the UFC lightweight champion after he defeated Anthony Pettis in 2015. Following a successful title defense opposite Donald Cerrone, he was dethroned by Eddie Alvarez the following year.
After losing his next fight to Tony Ferguson, dos Anjos decided to move up one weight class to welterweight. While he did enjoy some initial success, the 36-year-old realized he was probably too small for the 170-pound division.
Last October, dos Anjos switched back to lightweight when he took on Paul Felder and defeated him via a split decision. He also served as a back-up fighter for the UFC 264 main event clash between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.
A win over a highly-touted prospect like Islam Makhachev will once again throw dos Anjos in the mix of lightweight title contenders. He's currently ranked No.7 in the 155-pound weight class.
