Rafael dos Anjos

Rafael Souza dos Anjos, widely known by his initials RDA, is a professional mixed martial artist born on 26 October 1984 and raised around Niterói in the state of Rio de Janeiro. He holds both Brazilian and American citizenship, announcing in December 2019 that he and his family had become naturalized United States citizens. He began training Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the age of nine, earned a black belt under Aldo Januário, and built a fighting style around heavy low kicks, high-volume striking, strong takedowns and powerful ground control. A professional since 2004, he built a regional record in Brazil before joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he made his debut at UFC 91 and then spent well over a decade competing at lightweight and welterweight. In March 2015 he won the UFC Lightweight Championship by unanimous decision over Anthony Pettis, defended it once against Donald Cerrone with a first-round finish in 66 seconds, and lost it to Eddie Alvarez in July 2016. He later fought in both divisions, and he became the first fighter to reach eight hours of total fight time in UFC history.