Former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos broke his silence after suffering a leg injury in his fight against Geoff Neal at UFC 308.
Dos Anjos’s return to the Octagon fell short at UFC 308 after suffering a leg injury against Neal on his 40th birthday. After a back-and-forth first minute of the fight, dos Anjos’s left leg appeared to give out on him as he moved back towards the cage.
Referee Mark Smith quickly waved off the fight as medical personnel immediately moved in to inspect dos Anjos’s ailment. As of this writing, the extent of dos Anjos’s injury is uncertain, although he’s expected to miss an extended period.
Despite the disappointing setback and injury, dos Anjos isn’t backing down and envisions a return to the Octagon as soon as possible.
Rafael dos Anjos promises to return after UFC 308 leg injury loss
Dos Anjos addressed his following in a recent Instagram post.
“Thank you all fight fans for the support, sorry I let you guys down,” dos Anjos said.
“Definitely it was not how I want to celebrate my 40th birthday, it was a tough loss. During my whole career it’s my second time been 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.”
Dos Anjos’s knee injury adds to a growing collection of in-fight injuries for UFC fighters in recent years. Conor McGregor, dos Anjos’s one-time scheduled opponent, shattered his leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 and hasn’t fought since that event.
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Rafael dos Anjos ‘not done yet’ despite ongoing losing skid
Dos Anjos’s leg injury wasn’t the only concerning moment on the UFC 308 main card. Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker had his jaw crushed by a Khamzat Chimaev face-crank submission in the co-main event.
Dos Anjos has now lost four of his last five fights after the injury stoppage loss at UFC 308. Before the defeat to Neal, dos Anjos suffered unanimous decision losses to Mateusz Gamrot and Vicente Luque inside the Octagon.
At 40 years old, dos Anjos is likely done competing for UFC titles at this stage of his career. He won the UFC lightweight championship in a dominant performance against Anthony Pettis at UFC 185.
Although it’s uncertain how much time dos Anjos will miss to recover from the leg injury, the former UFC champion seems laser-focused on an eventual return. When he does come back, he’ll look to tally his first victory since submitting Bryan Barberena in Dec. 2022.