Rafael dos Anjos on UFC 225 Loss to Covington: ‘Bad Guys Win Sometimes in Real Life’

Things didn’t turn out as planned for Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 225, but he hasn’t given up on his goal of becoming welterweight champion.

The 33-year-old Brazilian dropped a competitive five-round unanimous decision to Colby Covington in an interim title bout at UFC 225 in Chicago this past Saturday. Dos Anjos compared the setback to a loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov in a lightweight bout at UFC on Fox 11 in 2014. After that, he went on a five-fight winning streak in the division, becoming the 155-pound champion in the process.

“I am a very competitive guy and I confess I never know how to handle defeat. I did my best inside the octagon, I had the support of the best coaches in the world. The result was not mine, but nothing will make me give up,” dos Anjos wrote on Instagram. “I am a challenge driven guy and this is just another one in my way.

“In 2014, after the fight against Khabib, I worked very hard, and with God’s blessing, 11 months later I became the lightweight champion. This time it won’t be any different. I got the chance to fight for the interim belt after only three fights in the welterweight division. My path in this weight class has just started. I know what I am capable of, I know what I can achieve. I won’t give up my dreams because of the first obstacle in this division.”

For now, though, it’s Covington who has earned the right to a title unification bout against undisputed welterweight king Tyron Woodley at a later date. Covington’s schtick, which has included calling the entire nation of Brazilian “filthy animals,” has irritated more than a few people during his rise to the top of the division.

While he didn’t mention him directly, Dos Anjos briefly referenced Covington’s persona in his post.

“Now it’s time to see what did not work, improve, and get back to my path to the top. God knows everything. Bad guys win sometimes in real life, but at the end, the good guys always win. You can lose the battle, but never the war.”

Hey guys I want to thank you all for the messages and the support. I am a very competitive guy and I confess I never know how to handle defeat. I did my best inside the octagon, I had the support of the best coaches in the world. The result was not mine, but nothing will make me give up. I am a challenge driven guy and this is just another one in my way. In 2014, after the fight against Khabib, I worked very hard, and with God’s blessing, 11 months later I became the Lightweight champion. This time it won’t be any different. I got the chance to fight for the interim belt after only three fights in the welterweight division. My path in this weight class has just started. I know what I am capable of, I know what I can achieve. I won’t give up my dreams because of the first obstacle in this division. Now it’s time to see what did not work, improve, and get back to my path to the top. God knows everything. Bad guys win sometimes in real life, but at the end, the good guys always win. You can lose the battle, but never the war. Thank God I have the best friends and family I could ask for. I’ll be back soon stronger than ever. You’ll see!

A post shared by Rafael Dos Anjos (@rdosanjosmma) on Jun 11, 2018 at 1:17pm PDT