UFC 197 Preview: Rafael dos Anjos Wants to Send Conor McGregor Back to Featherweight Division
Rafael dos Anjos is scheduled to defend his lightweight title against undisputed featherweight champion Conor McGregor at UFC 197 in Las Vegas on March 5. It is expected to hear a lot of trash talk from McGregor, but dos Anjos is not backing down from all of it.
The reigning lightweight champion told MMA Fighting on Wednesday his plans on giving McGregor the taste of defeat in his first fight in the division. Dos Anjos added that he will send "Notorious" back to the featherweight division where fellow Brazilian Jose Aldo will get his rematch.
"I've fought the best lightweights in the world, and he's a featherweight. He's a good fighter, but I've fought better fighters," dos Anjos said.
"I think Aldo deserved an immediate rematch because of how the fight ended and because he was undefeated for 10 years, but McGregor wanted to move up and fight me. I will be there to defend my belt and send him back to the featherweight division so Aldo can finish him for good," he added.
The 31-year-old Brazilian has won 10 out of his last 11 fights, including a dominant outing to win the lightweight belt against Anthony Pettis at UFC 185 and a 66-second knockout win over Donald Cerrone in his first title defense last December, per Sherdog.
He also holds wins over former lightweight champion Benson Henderson and lightweight contender Nate Diaz. Dos Anjos compared all those fighters to McGregor, saying that he all beat them despite their height and reach advantages.
However, McGregor was the star of the UFC 197 Press Conference with his trash talk and matchmaking microphone skills. The brash Irishman talked about how dos Anjos betrayed Brazil, even calling him a "gringo." The featherweight champion was referring to the way dos Anjos left Brazil to work and train full-time at Rafael Cordeiro's Kings MMA gym in Huntington Beach, California.
"I want to give back to the country of Brazil. On March 5, I will behead Rafael dos Anjos and I will drag his head through a parade on the streets of Rio de Janeiro. It will be a national holiday," McGregor said, per the Toronto Sun.
UFC President Dana White revealed in the press conference that the 28-year-old Irish fighter is scheduled to have four fights this year if he keeps all of his words. If he wins the lightweight belt on UFC 197, McGregor will be headlining UFC 200 in July against Frankie Edgar for the featherweight championship.
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