Dos Anjos Reveals Three Surgeries Nearly Ended Career

Rafael dos Anjos underwent three separate knee surgeries in the span of 18 months, a medical ordeal that pushed the former UFC lightweight champion to the brink of retirement.

Dos Anjos, who faces Alexander Hernandez at UFC 332 on Oct. 3 in Salt Lake City, told Ariel Helwani that the cascade of procedures began after he injured his left knee in a 90-second stoppage loss to Geoff Neal in October 2024. A surgeon in Brazil attempted to stitch the meniscus, which dos Anjos said turned out to be "a terrible mistake." The repair failed within five months, forcing a second operation in Austin, Texas, to remove the damaged tissue entirely.

Surgical Complications Extend Dos Anjos Layoff

The Austin procedure introduced a new problem, according to the Brazilian. The surgeon reportedly left stitches inside the joint, triggering inflammation and restricting full extension. Dos Anjos went under the knife a third time earlier this year to clear the foreign material. "For a second, I thought, 'Man, this is it,'" he said, per Sherdog. "But looking at my results, I'm coming from losses, but I haven't been dominated. I want to give it a chance. I still have four more fights on my contract."

The 41-year-old enters the Hernandez bout on a three-fight skid but noted he has not been finished or outclassed in those defeats. Hernandez carries an 18-9 record and is coming off a loss to Rafa Garcia that snapped a four-fight win streak.

Dos Anjos has not competed since the Neal fight nearly two years ago. The layoff represents the longest stretch of inactivity in a UFC tenure that began in 2008 and includes a lightweight title reign from 2015 to 2016.

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• Sherdog — Rafael dos Anjos nearly retired after three surgeries: 'Man, this is it'