Rafael Dos Anjos Out Of UFC 196 With Foot Injury

Fight fans, we have a problem. Rafael dos Anjos has pulled out of his scheduled lightweight title defense against Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC 196. MMA Fighting is reporting that dos Anjos suffered a foot injury late last week. The UFC is currently trying to find a replacement to fight McGregor. Ariel

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Fight fans, we have a problem.

Rafael dos Anjos has pulled out of his scheduled lightweight title defense against Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC 196. MMA Fighting is reporting that dos Anjos suffered a foot injury late last week.

The UFC is currently trying to find a replacement to fight McGregor. Ariel Helwani reported on Twitter that Frankie Edgar can’t fight McGregor at the event because he is dealing with an injury.  

If the UFC cannot find a replacement to fight McGregor, Holly Holm vs. Miesha Tate for the women’s bantamweight title will serve as the main event.

UFC 196 takes place at MGM Grand Garden Arena on March 5 and airs on PPV, FOX Sports 1, and UFC Fight Pass.

Here is the updated card for the event:

Main Card: (PPV – 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT)

TBA) vs. Conor McGregor (19-2)

Holly Holm (10-0) vs. Miesha Tate (17-5)

Gian Villante (14-6) vs. Ilir Latifi (11-4, 1NC)

Corey Anderson (8-1) vs. Tom Lawlor (9-5, 1NC)

Amanda Nunes (11-4) vs. Valentina Shevchenko (12-1)

Preliminary Card: (FS1 – 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT)

Brandon Thatch (11-3) vs. Siyar Bahadurzada (21-6-1)

Erick Silva (18-6, 1NC) vs. Nordine Taleb (10-3)

Vitor Miranda (11-4) vs. Marcelo Guimaraes (9-1-1)

Darren Elkins (19-5) vs. Chas Skelly (15-1)

Preliminary Card: (UFC Fight Pass – 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m PT)

Diego Sanchez (25-8) vs. Jim Miller (25-7, 1NC)

Justin Salas (12-6) vs. Jason Saggo (10-2)

Julian Erosa (15-2) vs. Teruto Ishihara (7-2-2)

 

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The Spider! A Look At Anderson Silva’s Top 6 Moments

Fight week is upon us here at LowKickMMA as UFC Fight Night 84 is set for this upcoming Saturday (February 27, 2016) live on UFC Fight Pass from the O2 Arena in London, England. The main event features a highly anticipated middleweight showdown between former long-time champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva and divisional mainstay Michael

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Fight week is upon us here at LowKickMMA as UFC Fight Night 84 is set for this upcoming Saturday (February 27, 2016) live on UFC Fight Pass from the O2 Arena in London, England.

The main event features a highly anticipated middleweight showdown between former long-time champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva and divisional mainstay Michael “The Count” Bisping.

It’s no secret that Silva has had his fair share of issues over the last few years, including a winless record since 2012, a gruesome leg injury suffered at UFC 168, and most recently a failed drug test for anabolic steroids after his return at January 2015’s UFC 183.

While these issues have undoubtedly loomed over Silva’s head, he also remains amongst the greatest talents we’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing inside of the Octagon.

Holding the records for most consecutive UFC wins (16), as well as most consecutive title defenses (10), “The Spider” notoriously reigned over the middleweight division for nearly seven years, spanning from 2006-2013.

Apparently at age 40 Silva intends to make one last title run, and while it’s unclear how realistic that may be, his career speaks for itself.

As he gets set to make another walk to the Octagon, let’s take a deeper look into an illustrious career with Anderson Silva’s greatest hits:

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Rafael dos Anjos vs. Conor McGregor Reportedly Cancelled Due to dos Anjos Injury

Lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos has reportedly withdrawn from his fight with Conor McGregor at UFC 196 due to injury. 
Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting reported the Brazilian’s withdrawal on Tuesday, with the event scheduled to take place…

Lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos has reportedly withdrawn from his fight with Conor McGregor at UFC 196 due to injury. 

Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting reported the Brazilian’s withdrawal on Tuesday, with the event scheduled to take place in Las Vegas on March 5. “According to multiple sources, dos Anjos broken a foot late last week, forcing him to pull out of the lightweight title fight against McGregor,” Helwani reported.

The news will be a significant blow to MMA fans with the bout so close. It was set to be a history-making occasion, too, as a McGregor win would have seen him become the first fighter in the UFC’s existence to have held two titles from two different weight classes.

It leaves UFC 196 with a huge chasm to fill at the top of the card, and Helwani outlined some of the replacement options for McGregor, although it appears a showdown with featherweight star Frankie Edgar is not on the agenda:

The Irishman, one would suspect, will be hugely disappointed, especially as this is the second time in three bouts an illustrious opponent has pulled the plug so close to fight night; in his last eight matchups, the man set to face McGregor has dropped out on four occasions.

Indeed, Jose Aldo withdrew in the buildup to their scheduled showdown at UFC 189, with Chad Mendes stepping in at late notice. McGregor knocked out Aldo’s replacement before famously beating the Brazilian himself at UFC 194 inside 13 seconds.

McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, posted the following on his Twitter feed in the minutes after the report surfaced:

Donald Cerrone just fought on Sunday, submitting Alex Oliveira in the first round, but he’s known for taking fights at short notice and has got history with McGregor. As we can see here, the Irishman has been involved in verbal jousting with the man known as the Cowboy in the buildup to other bouts, (Warning: Includes expletive language):

Nate Diaz, also mentioned by Helwani as an option for McGregor, would be another intriguing lightweight test. He won his last bout against Michael Johnson on Dec. 19, but, as is the case with Cerrone, he was well beaten by dos Anjos, too.

Edgar would be a massive challenge for McGregor, and that’s a featherweight fight plenty would be keen to see, especially after the American disposed of Mendes with such ease. However, it seems as though that showdown is unlikely at this stage, especially given the Irishman is well into the lightweight cut at this juncture.

Still, none of these fighters can offer McGregor what dos Anjos did: another title belt and a chance to make history.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Brendan Schaub Says Conor McGregor Would Destroy Robbie Lawler

Former UFC heavyweight star Brendan Schaub thinks featherweight champion Conor McGregor would outclass welterweight king Robbie Lawler, although he’s conceded he doesn’t feel confident in the Irishman’s chances against lightweight tit…

Former UFC heavyweight star Brendan Schaub thinks featherweight champion Conor McGregor would outclass welterweight king Robbie Lawler, although he’s conceded he doesn’t feel confident in the Irishman’s chances against lightweight titleholder Rafael dos Anjos in his next bout.

Speaking with Joe Rogan (h/t Mike Drahota of LowKick), Schaub made some pretty bold claims about McGregor’s chances of beating the 170-pound champion should the two ever square off inside the cage:

I’m gonna say something crazy, Joe. Are you ready for this?

I think the toughest match-up possible for McGregor in the UFC is dos Anjos.  I think the easier fight for him is Robbie Lawler. Robbie’s not gonna touch him. Not a chance. I think he f–ks Robbie up, and I love Robbie! Style wise he f–ks Robbie up.

McGregor is moving up to lightweight to face Dos Anjos, seeking to break new ground in the UFC, as he’ll become the first fighter in the company’s history to simultaneously hold two titles from different weight divisions should he win. The bout with the Brazilian will take place at UFC 196 in Las Vegas on March 5. 

Fury’s Fight Picks agrees with the assessment made by Schaub, insisting that Dos Anjos at lightweight is a tougher fight for the Irishman than Lawler at welterweight:

Indeed, McGregor is once again the underdog coming into a fight. Last year, before bouts against Chad Mendes and Jose Aldo, many were unsure the Irishman could cope with the skills of the featherweight stars. But he left both sprawled on the canvas under the bright lights, cementing his status as one of the sport’s all-time greats.

Now, it seems his eyes are fixed firmly on Dos Anjos. As we can see here, the featherweight champion has delivered a chilling message to his opponent in this trailer for the showpiece:

Should he get past the Brazilian, McGregor has expressed a desire to make a move up to welterweight too. 

“So, why not go up?” was the champion’s response when asked about another potential move up in an interview with SevereMMA.com (h/t Ryan McKinnell of Yahoo Sports). “They get slower and they get less free. They get stiffer. Even more stuck than the lightweight division.”

Lawler is the top man in that division, having taken the title in a gruelling triumph over Rory MacDonald last year before getting the better of Carlos Condit in an equally entertaining battle last month. He’s a formidable champion, and like the Irishman, he’s a fierce striker.

Although the prospect of McGregor getting inside the cage and facing Lawler looks a long way off yet, it’s something Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter doesn’t think should be ruled out:

Should the Irishman stick to his word, then a showdown with Lawler at UFC 200 may well be in the cards. McGregor has shown a constant willingness to break new ground in the sport, and considering he’s backed up all his talk up to this point, a welterweight title shot would certainly be a fascinating watch should he get past Dos Anjos.

It’d been naive to look past UFC 196, though, when McGregor faces the biggest test of his MMA career. Dos Anjos has proven himself to be a classy opponent in recent bouts and has the attributes to nullify the Irishman for spells in the fight. He’ll make sure making history is far from easy for McGregor.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC superstar Conor McGregor set to appear on SI cover

Already a global fighting and fitness icon, UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor’s image now graces the cover of Sports Illustrated.It’s the first SI cover for the brash Irishman, who was scheduled to fight lightweight champion Rafael …

Already a global fighting and fitness icon, UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor’s image now graces the cover of Sports Illustrated.It’s the first SI cover for the brash Irishman, who was scheduled to fight lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 196 on March 5 in an attempt to become the first UFC fighter to capture titles in two weight classes.MORE ON CONOR MCGREGOR: Watch: Free Fight – McGregor vs. Chad Mendes | Free Fight – McGregor vs. Diego Brandao | McGregor vs. Jose Aldo on UFC FIGHT PASS | Check out McGregor’s fighter profile | Buy ticket … Read the Full Article Here