Rafael Dos Anjos

Bio:
Rafael Dos Anjos (born Rafael Souza dos Anjos on October 26, 1984 in Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. Growing up in Niteroi, Rafael was a troubled child who got into many fights. He started training in Brazilian jiu jitsu at the age of nine, which kept him off the streets. Rafael’s talent at fighting led him to rack up 9 straight victories in his early career, 6 from submissions. He was 11-2 in regional circuits before getting the call from the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2008. Rafael lost his first two UFC fights – getting knocked out by Jeremy Stephens and losing by decision to Tyson Griffin. He secured his first win at UFC 103 in 2009, beating Rob Emerson. After racking up some impressive victories, Rafael won the UFC Lightweight Championship in 2015 at UFC 185, defeating Anthony Pettis via unanimous decision. He defended the title against Donald Cerrone at UFC on Fox 17, securing a win via TKO just 66 seconds into the first round. Rafael was scheduled to face Conor McGregor at UFC 196 on March 5, 2016, but on Feb. 25, Rafael pulled out of the fight, citing a foot injury.

Best Known For:
Rafael Dos Anjos is best known as a MMA fighter who won the UFC Lightweight Championship.

Personal Life:
Rafael has a son and a stepson, Rafael Filho and Gustavo. Rafael suffered a broken jaw in a 2010 fight, and claimed his titanium-fused jaw has broken some hands of his later opponents. Doctors have pointed out that the titanium plate in his jaw is only millimeters thick and couldn’t affect the outcome of the fight.