Rafael dos Anjos did not get to celebrate his birthday in the way that he imagined.
The former lightweight champion suffered an apparent knee injury early in his 170-pound clash against Geoff Neal at UFC 308, which led to a technical knockout loss 90 seconds into Round 1.
“I think it was on my second kick thrown, me and Neal kicked at the same time and I felt a big snap, a big pop behind my knee,” dos Anjos said in a video on his Instagram stories. “Throughout my whole UFC career, it’s my second time being hospitalized after the fight and it makes me realize how blessed I am.