Conor McGregor has secured his shot at UFC history and Rafael dos Anjos is set for the biggest payday of his MMA career.
On January 12, the UFC confirmed that The Notorious would be taking on RDA for the lightweight belt.
If dos Anjos wins, it will be his second title defence and solidify his position as top dog in a stacked division. A McGregor victory would mean the promotion having a two-weight champion for the first time ever.
The Dubliner has been targeting this fight ever since he gave up his two Cage Warriors world titles, in 2013, to pursue his UFC dream. No sooner was he racking up wins than was McGregor looking beyond his featherweight division and plotting lightweight glory.
1. Shots fired
UFC 189 World Tour, Los Angeles leg, March 2015.
McGregor: “We will take [Jose] Aldo and we will take dos Anjos, without a problem.
“The featherweights must beg now. They must beg for pardon, beg for forgiveness. If that’s the case, if they apologise and beg, I’ll leave the division. I won’t terrorise them anymore. They can have their division back. They can go back to being on the prelims and I’ll go to the lightweight division.”
2. Irish elephants never forget
Ahead of his UFC lightweight title encounter with Anthony Pettis, dos Anjos was asked if he had advice for McGregor.
RDA: “Stay at featherweight.”
Taking part in the UFC 189 World Tour, McGregor called the Brazilian, who had defeated Pettis via unanimous decision, out.
McGregor:“I list it down – there is another man who has spoke my name in vain. And what happens is, when you speak my name in vain, no matter how many years down the line, I’m like an elephant – I’ll never forget. I’ll come and get you.”
3. Shark tank
With McGregor lining up for Jose Aldo at UFC 189 [he ended up beating Chad Mendes for the interim belt], dos Anjos spoke with Submission Radio about the Irishman’s lofty ambitions.
He said, “If we are talking about Conor McGregor, one year ago nobody knew who he was. I did not know who McGregor was.”. RDA added:
RDA: “Man, I don’t know how this guy thinks that. He flatters himself too much. I don’t see any way [McGregor could beat me].
“I can stop the fight with him in my closed guard, I can stop [the fight] on bottom. Whatever position he wants. There’s no way he can beat me. I don’t see, like any way.
“He’s a good fighter, but he needs to take care of the featherweight division first. Man, lightweight division is a shark tank, you know? He better stay in featherweight division.”
4. Backing his compatriot
With Aldo still in the UFC 189 picture, last May, dos Anjos reiterated the fact that McGregor would fall short.
RDA: “It’s just a matter of time for Jose Aldo to beat this guy. [McGregor] is a good fighter, I’m not saying he’s a bad fighter, but he has a lot of things to do in the division still.”
5. Go Big (a.k.a Red Panty Night)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BARiQV4lVe8/?taken-by=sportsjoedotie
During the UFC showcase, in November 2015, dos Anjos told fans his immediate focus was on defeating lightweight challenger Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone at Fight Night Orlando.
“If he wants to step up,” RDA added, “I’m ready. Easy money.”
McGregor responded with his now infamous ‘red panties’ declaration.
McGregor: “I’d change your bum life. I could make you rich. You fight me? It’s a celebration. ‘Conor McGregor made us rich. Break out the red panties.’
“Don’t say you wouldn’t take that fight because you would, just like everyone else up here. Regardless of belts or any of that shit. I’m the money fight in the male shit in all divisions so fuck everybody else up here.”
6. Mystic Mac
Days before he KO’d Aldo to become undisputed featherweight champion, McGregor told Megan Olivi he was gunning for dos Anjos’ belt.
McGregor: “There seems to be an opportunity for that lightweight belt. It is a division that is lacking numbers [so] you put in the king of the numbers… The manner in which I beast Jose will mean there is no need for as rematch and I will go and take that lightweight belt.”
7. ‘I’ll will go to Ireland’
On December 18, the Brazilian emphatically KO’d Donald Cerrone at Fight Night Orlando.
Clearly pumped up, RDA told McGregor what’s what.
“Hey McGregor. If you want to come to the lightweight division, this is my division. You’d be better [off] in the featherweight division. I will fight you in Brazil. I will go to Ireland and face you there. Whatever you want man. I’m here to stay.”
So he definitely said he’d fight in Ireland. That’s a binding contract, right? pic.twitter.com/wxiEuEic85
— Darragh Murphy (@DarrMurphy) December 20, 2015
8. On your knees boy
Every fighter from 145-170lbs seemed to be calling McGregor out by the end of 2015. The featherweight champ had one, simple response:
Line them up on their knees with their hands out. I want them to beg me. pic.twitter.com/YCYf0QslNR
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 20, 2015
Needless to say, the lightweight champion was not impressed:
https://www.instagram.com/p/_npV4phTsq/?taken-by=rdosanjosmma
9. Addressing the rumours
Following January 8 reports of Dos Anjos vs McGregor at UFC 197, both camps spoke about the fight without specifically confirming it as a done deal.
Rafael Cordeiro [RDA’s coach at MMA Kings]: “Rafael is really happy to ‘welcome’ him in a brutal way to the lightweight division.”
The Notorious will surely break out a more specific Mystic Mac prediction but this was not a bad start:
McGregor: ‘My next fight… What can I say, it’s just another night of easy work for me.
‘I don’t just own the game. I run it too.’
10. It’s on!
Following the confirmation of the title clash, McGregor was quick off the blocks with a stunning prediction. On his Facebook page, McGregor wrote:
McGregor [via McGregor Inc. on Facebook]: “He has chosen to dedicate this demolition job to the loyal people of Brazil and all the fans around the globe who stay true to their roots and loyal to their land.
Mr. McGregor has said that Rafael is a traitor to his people and vows to “behead the ‘American Gringo’ Rafael Dos Anjos, in the name of La Brasilia!”
Dos Anjos chose to go with a Bible passage:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BAdCi1lBTvp/?taken-by=rdosanjosmma
