Former champion confirms worse-case scenario means he’s set to go ‘under the knife’ after freak UFC 308 loss

Rafael dos Anjos’ luck has gone from bad to worse as the former UFC lightweight champion is now faced with perhaps the biggest hurdle of his career.

The 40-year-old sustained an alarming leg injury during his showdown with seasoned operator Goeff Neal at UFC 308 last Saturday.

After identifying the welterweight’s discomfort, referee Mark Smith swiftly halted proceedings in the opening round, allowing Rafael dos Anjos to get the medical attention he needed.

Since then, the MMA veteran has expressed an interest in remaining in the sport but, following an update on his injury, may now have to reconsider a potential retirement plan.

Read More [‘I’m not done yet!’… Rafael dos Anjos shares encouraging health update after horrific leg injury suffered at UFC 308]

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLCRafael dos Anjos reveals that he will undergo leg surgery following his devastating defeat to Goeff NealDos Anjos’ third defeat in a row arrived on the undercard of Ilia Topuria’s ruthless third-round stoppage over Max Holloway in Abu Dhabi.

Prior to that, he had suffered unanimous decision losses to both Mateusz Gamrot and Vicente Luque, seemingly struggling to find the remnants of his prime years.

And yet, the once formidable lightweight king continues to chug along at 165 lbs, despite being a far cry from the upper echelons of his division.

Dos Anjos, of course, beat Anthony Pettis for his trinket back in 2015, before defending the prize with an emphatic first-round finish against MMA legend Donald Cerrone.

But now, the Brazilian is compelled to resist the jaws of retirement after revealing that the damage he sustained against Neal was, in fact, an ACL injury.

There is hope for Dos Anjos yet, though, as several UFC fighters in the past, including decorated champions Conor McGregor, Georges St-Pierre and Ronda Rousey, have bounced back from similar injuries.

However, at this late stage in his career, it is difficult to envision a route back to the top for Dos Anjos.

On his Instagram story, he said: “My ACL is gone guys, going under the knife on the next couple of days. God’s plan.”

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLCRafael dos Anjos is set to reconsider UFC career following ACL injury updateIn fairness to Dos Anjos, a defeat to tenth-ranked UFC welterweight contender Neal is certainly salvageable.

But still, he may be forced to put any title aspirations to bed and, instead, focus on being a solid gatekeeper for the up-and-coming talents.

And so, despite teasing the idea of resuming his career, Dos Anjos may now have to make a difficult decision on what will be best for his legacy and, more importantly, his health.