Former champ Rafael dos Anjos answered questions from the press at the official UFC Orlando media day ahead of facing Bryan …
hey man
I suppose how are you feeling ahead of
this one going in I’m not feeling great
feeling great man can’t wait for
Saturday so we’re back at welterweight
for this fight I’m curious how did you
make that decision and why did you want
to move back to 170. yeah uh I moved
back to Brazil and uh I decided to
to go back to lightweight it’s not easy
for me
uh and then I have my last loss against
physive and
um
yeah man I had my last title run on that
division you know
um looking to fight uh the comfortable
wait for me right now uh
um before their fight you see I fought
moycano I was scheduled to fight uh
physive in February and then I fought my
Econo and they put that match up with
physiv in July again because nobody want
to fight his Eve and I was the only guy
that accepted
and uh
because man because of these rankings
that that the top five little Club they
don’t wanna they just wanna fight
between them
and uh and then I have to take the fight
with physi again and I I lost a fight I
said hey ma’am uh you can take me out of
the rankings and uh I’ll fight the
Waterway
so do you think you’re done with
lightweight or do you think maybe if
that top five kind of opens up you’ll
move back down and try and get in there
yeah just for you know some very
specific fights that I have in mind
I’ll do that again but yeah uh I don’t
have plans to win the title of that
division anymore I’ll be honest with you
but like a couple guys that uh uh if it
isn’t a good momentum for me oh my you
know my personal life as well I’ll take
the fight but yeah as of now I have
Brian barbarina this Saturday and uh I’m
saying on water weight last one on
lightweight will it be sad for you if
you never got the Islam market share
fight I know that was one that you
wanted forever and it never came to pass
would it be sad for you to retire
without that one one day I know not
really uh we were scheduled to fight a
couple times but
I got injury he pulled up on a pull out
on fight week as well and uh
we had a chance to fight a water weight
he threw his name out there
I accept the fight he he didn’t took it
and we kind of took it but you know I
wouldn’t be sad
what do you think of Brian barbarino as
your your first fight back at world’s
weight you happy with this guy as an
opponent what do you think of him and
his skills yeah he’s you know I’m happy
with that match up he’s coming on three
winning streak
uh
uh uh he’s a guy that fights forward and
he’s the type of fight that I like
uh being three rounds I think in my last
eight fights seven of them was
five rounds if I’m not wrong
so it was good a little break too
finding three rounds uh the preparations
a little easier too and uh yeah I’m
happy with that match up yeah he’s known
for getting into Wars and having these
crazy back and forth fights is that
something you can be excited about or do
you think no no I’m going to show him
that I don’t get into Wars I can just be
dominant and beat him yeah uh uh I think
getting to getting towards is part of it
you know like
once we start fighting the Instinct
instincts comes and we just like fight
and uh
but he’s a guy that have a lot of win a
will to to win and I do so and it’ll be
a great matchup for the fans obviously
you have to get past him on Saturday but
are you already looking at some of those
big names at welterweight and thinking
oh I can match up against this guy very
well and that guy very well
I’m a former title challenge of that
division you know I fought the best guys
on the division and I went distance uh
I think I reached at this stage of my
career that I can be very relevant in
two divisions if I fight a lightweight
I’m relevant people want to watch it if
I fought a water weight uh I’m a big
name of water weight as well but uh of
course man you know I fight to win uh
but I have I have a challenge you know a
tough guy ahead of me on Saturday we’ll
see what comes next Corners fighting at
170 uh I think I don’t see he fight he’s
fighting at 155 uh anymore
but we’ll see that that that’s the fight
that that makes sense to you we’ll see
what happened so his name’s like Conor
maybe man’s without Hamza those bigger
names that you’re interested in yeah
yeah definitely guys that that have a
lot to bring to the table guys that been
there before
uh I think being a former Champion uh I
think you know like
being you know so long on the company
looking for you know for guys that make
sense to me you know like guys with a
lot of fights too and legends of the
sport and I think that’s what I’m
looking for thank you you’re welcome
I fell to the bunker
um
favorite here
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