Rafael dos Anjos was to face Islam Makhachev but now wants Michael Chandler after the Russian pulled out
Rafael dos Anjos is searching for a new rival after Islam Makhachev pulled out of UFC Fight Night 183.
The Russian picked up an undisclosed injury and cannot take on the former UFC Lightweight Champion. Dos Anjos and Makhachev were to meet at UFC 254 but the Brazilian tested positive and the fight was rescheduled.
However, the MMA Gods had other plans and the fight is off with a few days left for the next event. Dos Anjos is also seeking for a rival and called out Michael Chandler, one of the UFC’s newest signings.
Chandler is a former multi-time Bellator Champion and was the standby for the Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Justin Gaethje Lightweight title fight.
He is searching for his first UFC outing and Dos Anjos called him out while wishing Makhachev a speedy recovery:
“I wish @MAKHACHEVMMA a speed recovery. Looking for a new partner to dance. Looks like @MikeChandlerMMA is ready to go. Your move!”
Speaking to the Schmo, Chandler had stated that he needed a bit of time to get into perfect shape but was willing to take up a clash if needed.
He was in decent shape ahead of the Khabib-Gaethje battle, and it will be interesting to see what happens next.
Dos Anjos vs Chandler is a great match-up for the former Bellator star since he would be taking on a former UFC champion.
The Brazilian-American is also ranked #12 in the division but some outlets have suggested that Chandler deserves a top 5 fight.
Many fans also believed that Chandler wouldn’t take this fight, not because Dos Anjos wasn’t ranked high enough but because the former Bellator star was going to skip fights as he did against Makhachev a while back.
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