Rafael dos Anjos did not get to celebrate his birthday in the way that he imagined.
The former lightweight champion suffered an apparent knee injury early in his 170-pound clash against Geoff Neal at UFC 308, which led to a technical knockout loss 90 seconds into Round 1.
“I think it was on my second kick thrown, me and Neal kicked at the same time and I felt a big snap, a big pop behind my knee,” dos Anjos said in a video on his Instagram stories. “Throughout my whole UFC career, it’s my second time being hospitalized after the fight and it makes me realize how blessed I am. It’s a very tough sport, and going to the hospital only twice in your whole career is a good number.”
Dos Anjos has lost three straight Octagon appearances and four of his last five bouts overall dating back to July 2022. Despite those struggles, the Brazilian veteran plans to continue with his MMA career once he recovers from his latest injury. Dos Anjos did not offer specifics on the injury.
Thank you all fight fans for the support, sorry I let you guys down. Definitely it was not how I want to celebrate my 40th birthday, it was a tough loss,” dos Anjos wrote in a separate Instagram post. “During my whole UFC career it’s my second time [being] 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.”
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