Rafael dos Anjos: Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn't deserve a title shot
Khabib Nurmagomedov and lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos have had their share of words over the last year, but things have certainly heated up after the Russian's win over Darrell Horcher a few weeks ago.
The win was Nurmagomedov's first in nearly two years after injuries forced him to the sidelines. He scored a knockout in his return and immediately called out dos Anjos.
"Two years ago, in Florida ... I beat you by unanimous decision," he shouted. "Let's finish our business. I see you in September, October, or maybe November, in New York."
But dos Anjos wasn't impressed with the performance nor the call out. And he didn't hesitate to let the world know shortly after the fight.
When speaking with MMA Fighting's Guilherme Cruz, dos Anjos expanded upon that sentiment.
Dos Anjos' run in Nurmagomedov's absence surely was significant. RDA became the first fighter ever to finish Henderson with punches before dominant performances against Diaz, Pettis and Cerrone. So while Nurmagomedov improved to 23-0 with his win over Horcher, dos Anjos believes he still has work to do.
Dos Anjos has his second title defense scheduled for July 7 when he takes on Eddie Alvarez. Nurmagomedov would likely prefer to sit on the sidelines until that fight, but we'll see if the UFC asks him to fight one more time, perhaps against original UFC Tampa opponent Tony Ferguson, before challenging for the title.
