Rafael Dos Anjos (11-3) made his UFC debut at UFC 91 against Jeremy Stephens (14-4). Dos Anjos came into the fight with a pretty impressive 11-2 record. While the competition he faced wasn’t that strong, eleven wins with only two losses it’s is a record most fighters would be happy to have. No matter the competition, Dos Anjos caught the attention of UFC matchmaker Joe Silva who gave him a shot at the big time.
Dos Anjos looked to make a mark and prove he belonged and while he did end up making the highlights it was unfortunately not how he had hoped it would happen. In the second round Stephens threw a jab and crushed Anjos with a devastating uppercut that put Anjos on the wrong end of the highlight reel.
Now Anjos gets another opportunity to show what kind of fighter he is when he faces off with top lightweight contender Tyson Griffin (12-2) at UFN 18 on April 1st. Griffin comes from the Xtreme Couture camp and has been involved in some of the most exciting fights in the UFC since his arrival. He holds wins over Clay Guida, Thiago Tavares and Urijah Faber. His UFC record is 5-2 with his only losses coming by way of Sean Sherk and Frankie Edgar.
This fight is scheduled to be shown live on Spike TV as part of the under card of UFC Fight Night 18. The card is headlined by Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann at the Sommet Center in Nashville in the UFC’s first foray into Tennesee.
BY: Dusty Adams