Rafael Dos Anjos Out For Third Time Against Islam Makhachev

By Fight Sports Sep 29, 2021

Rafael Dos Anjos suffered another injury and is pulling from his matchup with Islam Makhachev, again.

It has been the third time where dos Anjos and Makhachev were supposed to share the octagon. But reportedly the former lightweight champion suffered an injury and was forced to be out of the battle. Makhachev said he doesn’t believe it.

@RdosAnjosMMA I don’t believe that you’re injured.., again #chickenfever

— Makhachev Islam (@MAKHACHEVMMA) September 26, 2021

The former champion immediately answered his tweet.

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. https://t.co/PDvQ2rhZsq

— Rafael dos Anjos (@RdosAnjosMMA) September 26, 2021

Makhachev and dos Anjos were originally scheduled for UFC 254 in October 2020, but dos Anjos caught COVID-19 and could not fight. It was rescheduled for UFC Fight Night 182 in November, but then Makhachev caught a bad staph infection forcing him to withdraw.

Makhachev’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, is already working with the UFC to find a new opponent for Makhachev. He said the only fighters who are ranked and make sense to fight Makhachev are Tony Ferguson and Dan Hooker.

Makhachev has exchanged some words with Ferguson many times before. He once said that he wants to help “El Cucuy” with retiring from MMA.

Makhachev has also said that Hooker was scared of fighting him, but Hooker disagreed.

Here’s the latest UFC 267 lineup:

Jan Blachowicz vs. Glover Teixeira – for light heavyweight title
Petr Yan vs. Corey Sandhagen
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Volkan Oezdemir
Islam Makhachev vs. opponent TBA
Marcin Tybura vs. Alexander Volkov
Khamzat Chimaev vs. Li Jingliang
Shamil Gamzatov vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
Virna Jandiroba vs. Amanda Ribas
Ricardo Ramos vs. Zubaira Tukhugov
Damir Ismagulov vs. Magomed Mustafaev
Makwan Amirkhani vs. opponent TBA
Alen Amedovski vs. Hu Yaozong
Allan Nascimento vs. Tagir Ulanbekov
Albert Duraev vs. Roman Kopylov
Walt Harris vs. Tai Tuivasa