Former UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael Dos Anjos is going to be competing for a second time as a welterweight when he fights Neil Magny at UFC 215.
Dos Anjos’ goal is to get a UFC Welterweight Title shot down the line and he is so confident that a shot will come that he already has a gameplan for champion Tyron Woodley.
“He (Tyron Woodley) has that game of circling around, of not wanting to take risks,” Dos Anjos said to MMA Junkie. “With me, he’s going to be at risk. I won’t let him feel comfortable. I think in his past two fights, he wasn’t in jeopardy. Stephen Thompson fought very technically and strategically. Not that I won’t use strategy and technique, but I have this (stronger) pace. I’ll push the pace and he’ll have to go to work. I won’t let him circle around – he’ll take me down, I’ll take him down, the fight will be a scramble. I’ll push his pace. And I think that’s when I’ll get the better of him.”
In his welterweight division debut, the former lightweight champion did earn a unanimous decision win over Tarec Saffiedine at UFC Fight Night 111.
The former champion must first get by Magny if he wants a title shot, a fighter that Dos Anjos believes has any specialties in the Octagon.
"He’s a good fighter,” Dos Anjos said. “But he doesn’t have any specialties. He’s good at everything, but he’s not excellent at anything.”
UFC 215 takes place on Saturday, September 9 from Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with Demetrious Johnson and Ray Borg headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
