Rafael dos Anjos is back.
The former UFC lightweight champion competes for the first time since October 2024 when he takes on Alexander Hernandez (18-9) in a welterweight bout at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City on Oct. 3. MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and Damon Martin confirmed the matchup with sources with knowledge of the bout following an initial report from ESPN Brasil.
Dos Anjos (32-17) was last seen at UFC 308, where he suffered a technical knockout loss in just 90 seconds after he was felled by a knee injury. He was later diagnosed with a torn ACL. The 41-year-old Brazilian looks to snap a three-fight losing skid, which also includes defeats against Mateusz Gamrot and Vicente Luque. When he steps into the octagon against Hernandez, it will mark the 50th professional bout of dos Anjos’ illustrious career.
This is the second outing of 2026 for Hernandez, who lost a unanimous decision to Rafa Garcia this past April. Hernandez saw a four-fight win streak come to an end with the loss to Garcia, a run that included knockouts over Diego Ferreira and Chase Hooper. His UFC record stands at 10-8.
UFC 332 takes place at Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Oct. 3. A main event is yet to be announced for the card.
See the update lineup below.
Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Payton Talbott
Johnny Walker vs. Mick Parkin
Marvin Vettori vs. Ismail Naurdiev
Ateba Gautier vs. Roman Kopylov
Damian Pinas vs. Andrey Pulyaev
Imanol Rodriguez vs. Alden Coria
Court McGee vs. Tom Nolan
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Alexander Hernandez
