BREAKING: Welterweight banger between Rafael dos Anjos and Vicente Luque expected to headline UFC Fight Night on July 15
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Vicente Luque will headline the UFC Fight Night event on July 15.
In December 2022, ‘RDA’ successfully returned to the welterweight division with a second-round submission win against Bryan Barberena. Earlier today, the former UFC lightweight champion announced on Twitter that his next fight had been scheduled. He had this to say:
“Fight news soon!! Another 5 rounds main event. Love it👊🏼💥”
Several hours later, reports started circulating that Rafael Dos Anjos will take on ‘The Silent Assasin’ in July. The 38-year-old Brazilian hopes to capitalize on Vicente Luque’s recent struggles and continue his journey to the top of the UFC 170-pound division.
Before taking out Barberena, Dos Anjos left the welterweight division, fighting twice at lightweight. He scored a win against Paul Felder and lost against Rafael Fiziev. He then fought at 160 pounds, which was a win against Renato Moiciano. He now looks to prove there’s still gas left in the tank for a title run at 170 pounds.
Meanwhile, Luque’s last win was a first-round submission against Michael Chiesa in August 2021. Since then, the 31-year-old has dropped in the welterweight rankings after back-to-back losses against Belal Muhammad and Geoff Neal. The number ten-ranked welterweight has an opportunity to get back on track by taking out the former UFC champion on July 15.
What’s at stake between Rafael dos Anjos and Vicente Luque?
On March 18, Leon Edwards defended the UFC welterweight title with his second consecutive win against Kamaru Usman. Dana White has since confirmed that Colby Covington would fight Edwards next. As a result, the 170-pound fighters are scrambling to put themselves in a position to secure a title shot in the near future.
Rafael dos Anjos and Vicente Luque won’t be fighting for a title shot on July 15. With that said, both fighters have a good reputation in the division. A main-event win will be a massive step in the right direction for their title aspirations.
Before worrying about what’s next, the Brazilian welterweights can’t overlook the opponent in front of them.