Rafael dos Anjos says his lopsided decision victory over Renato Moicano tasted extra sweet after finding out Islam Makhachev was denied a title shot after ‘paying politics’ ahead of UFC 272.
Makhachev offered to step in and fight RDA on short notice but later backtracked after Dos Anjos ‘called his bluff’. Dos Anjos doesn't believe Makhachev ever had any intention of fighting him after Rafael Fiziev pulled out of UFC 272 and is glad UFC president Dana White snubbed his title shot.
“You guys heard what Dana [White] said, Islam didn’t take the fight,” dos Anjos told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour following his five-round thrashing of Moicano (h/t MMA Fighting).