Rafael dos Anjos’ manager, Ali Abdel-Aziz, says the lightweight champion either wants to defend his belt against Nate Diaz or challenge Robbie Lawler for the welterweight title at UFC 200.
Last week, lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos said that he was willing to move up to welterweight to challenge Robbie Lawler for the title at UFC 200. And, according to his manager Ali Abdel-Aziz (h/t Shaun Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting), the Brazilian is staying true to his word and will settle for no less than a mega-fight with “Ruthless” or Nate Diaz. However, Ariel Helwani reports that the UFC aren’t looking to book dos Anjos up with Lawler and have a different matchup in mind.
Conor McGregor seems to have triggered a champion vs champion frenzy after the Irishman leapt up two weight classes to take on Nate Diaz at 170-pounds at UFC 200. McGregor was originally scheduled to challenge dos Anjos for the LW championship but the Kings MMA student was forced withdraw from the bout after suffering a foot injury.
Diaz shocked the world when he shattered McGregor’s multi-division aspirations with a rear-naked choke in the 2nd round. The Stockton product has returned to the Octagon in top form since his year-long hiatus from the sport, cruising to victory over Michael Johnson prior to his short-notice fight with “The Notorious” on March 5th, and has demanded more big money fights in the future.
Dos Anjos, who captured the 155-pound title after thrashing Anthony Pettis at UFC 185, has been on a tear since his loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2014. The 31-year-old dismantled Diaz at UFC on FOX 13 and, more recently, TKO’d Donald Cerrone in the 1st round to defend his lightweight title at UFC on FOX 17.
UFC 200, which will no doubt serve as the promotion’s blockbuster event of the year, is expected to take place in July at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Similar to UFC 100, the pay-per-view is expected to host at least two championship fights and smash box office records.