UFC
Rafael dos Anjos wants to make a statement against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC on Fox 11
Feb 9, 2014 - 9:25:22 PM Rafael dos Anjos wants to make a statement against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC on Fox 11

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Russian lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov irked some in the Brazilian jiu jitsu community ahead his bout with Thiago Tavares last year, as the Sambo practitioner wore a short to weigh-ins that read "if Sambo was easy it would be called jiu jitsu." Now, his newly scheduled opponent for UFC on Fox 11 this April, Rafael dos Anjos, says he is going to shut him up and make him get rid of that shirt.

"I'll make this Khabib stop this talking that nobody wants to fight him, [he] is a guy who has been talking a lot," dos Anjos said in a recent interview with Ag Fight (via MSN Esportes). "I'm going to shut up him so he learns not to speak ill of jiu-jitsu. I'll make him [throw] that shirt in the trash."

As for the fight itself, dos Anjos is excited for the matchup, because it gives him a chance to move further up the ladder at 155 lbs., and perhaps even work to a title fight with a win. It's a higher level opponent than Rustam Khabilov, whom he was initially scheduled to face at UFC 170.

"I was preparing to fight... with no injuries and my opponent hurt himself," dos Anjos commented. "But, in the end, I liked it because they gave an opponent with more expression. Khabib is undefeated. I believe that [beating] him would be a bigger one than over Khabilov. I think that Khabilov has better wrestling than Khabib, he has better takedowns, but overall the style is similar, both have heavy right hands and my training was kept in the same way. But he is the fighter with the [best record] that I have ever faced, no doubt."

"[Getting a title fight with a win] is the idea, but sometimes it's not possible. I train as hard as I can in the gym to get finish my fights, my idea is to win and that Russian, my intention is to [break him] and enforce his first defeat."

Penick's Analysis: This is a huge fight for both lightweights, as they're each trying to establish themselves as worthy contenders in the 155 lb. Title picture. The winner will be on a significant run inside the Octagon, and could certainly get a No. 1 contender fight their next time out. It's not a title eliminator in itself, but the victor will get a major opportunity in their next fight.