Rafael dos Anjos is about to take the next step in his career. The former UFC lightweight champion will make his welterweight debut against former Strikeforce champion Tarec Saffiedine at a UFC Fight Night event in Kallang, Singapore on June 17.
Dos Anjos went 0-2 in 2016. He lost his 155-pound title in July when he was knocked out by Eddie Alvarez then lost a unanimous decision to Tony Ferguson in November. The 32-year-old often struggled to make weight, so the two-fight losing streak couple with health concerns led to him moving up a division.
“I reached the top of [lightweight],” dos Anjos wrote on Twitter page in January. “It’s been a hard journey make weight every time. Now I want to fight at my best. I have new goals. I’m moving to [welterweight].”
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Dos Anjos (25-9) holds notable victories over Nate Diaz, Donald Cerrone, Benson Henderson and Anthony Pettis but at just 5-foot-8 the Brazilian will be one of the smallest welterweights in the UFC.
Saffiedine (16-6) has dropped two in a row and three of his last four overall. A loss could potentially spell the end of his UFC tenure.
Other bouts currently scheduled to take place on the card include: Andrei Arlovski vs. Marcin Tybura, Kwan Ho Kwak vs. Russell Doane, Jon Tuck vs. Takanori Gomi, Justin Scoggins vs. Ulka Sasaki and Cyril Asker vs. Walt Harris.
