With RDA Injured, Who Will Conor McGregor Fight At UFC 196?

Rafael dos Anjos is out, and now UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor is without an opponent at UFC 196. Luckily there’s some great options for ‘The Notorious’ to face… The news broke earlier today that UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos was bumped from the upcoming title fight against Conor McGregor. The Brazilian suffered a

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Rafael dos Anjos is out, and now UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor is without an opponent at UFC 196. Luckily there’s some great options for ‘The Notorious’ to face…

The news broke earlier today that UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos was bumped from the upcoming title fight against Conor McGregor. The Brazilian suffered a broken foot in training for the bout set for March 5, 2016, and was forced to withdraw. Much like many other super (ish) fights in the past, McGregor-dos Anjos has fallen foul to the dreaded injury bug. As a result, we have a repeat of the scenario ‘The Notorious’ was featured in at UFC 189.

When Jose Aldo was forced to pull out of his originally scheduled bout with McGregor in mid-2015, late replacement Chad Mendes stepped in. After seeing how McGregor finished ‘Money,’ or perhaps how Mendes handled him in the wrestling, will we see anyone as keen to jump in on less than two weeks notice? Old rival Donald Cerrone, famous for fighting multiple times with little break, has just won a quick first rounder against Alex Oliveira at welterweight, so perhaps ‘Cowboy?’

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Now on the steaks instead of salad, perhaps a trip to welterweight or a catchweight fight with Cerrone could be interesting. Or, possibly more enticing, what about Frankie Edgar? The former lightweight champion has been screaming out for a title shot against McGregor, but maybe the fact we’re so close to March 5 means McGregor isn’t getting anywhere near 145 pounds. Even as a lightweight bout, it would still make a lot of sense.

Who else is available at lightweight or possibly catchweight? You could argue for the man that ‘The Notorious’ beat at UFC 194, Jose Aldo, to rematch McGregor in RDA’s absence, but would it be worth taking place anywhere but in the featherweight division for that belt once again? Maybe not, but who else is there for the strayed featherweight champion to fight, assuming he can’t/won’t make featherweight by March 5?

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Ah yes, the ever angry Nate Diaz, who you’ll remember called out Conor McGregor with an explicit rant after his Orlando victory over Michael Johnson. Diaz dominated ‘The Menace’ over three rounds, and was shut down during his tirade by an amused and confused Joe Rogan. Dustin Poirier or Joe Duffy are both viable options if fit, especially considering their pasts with McGregor.

Then there’s the other option, Robbie Lawler at welterweight. A lot of people have been talking about this fight lately, with ‘The Notorious’ claiming he’d move to welterweight after defeating dos Anjos. The question here would be what risk is ‘Ruthless’ willing to take on such short notice?

Outside of these suggestions, who do you think will replace RDA at UFC 196, or will McGregor get yanked from the card?

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UFC Contender Hopes Conor McGregor Loses To Rafael dos Anjos

Whether you love him or hate him, Conor McGregor is leading the way in mixed martial arts right now, but one welterweight contender in particular is hoping the Irishman loses to Rafael dos Anjos… UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor is certainly not in the fight business to make friends. His outspoken manner has seen him

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Whether you love him or hate him, Conor McGregor is leading the way in mixed martial arts right now, but one welterweight contender in particular is hoping the Irishman loses to Rafael dos Anjos…

UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor is certainly not in the fight business to make friends. His outspoken manner has seen him both revered and despised by certain sects of mixed martial arts fans, but in fairness to McGregor that’s the case with most fighters. The hopes of the Irish nation firmly rests on his shoulders as ‘The Notorious’ takes on Rafael dos Anjos for the 155-pound title at UFC 196, and they’ll be hoping for a repeat performance of his stunning KO victory over Jose Aldo at UFC 194.

McGregor’s draw to even the casual fan is undeniable, but his appeal to certain fighters is limited to say the least. One welterweight contender in Demian Maia is actually hoping for ‘The Notorious’ to get beaten by RDA, and it all stems from some of the Irish striker’s recent comments. He revealed that he wants a crack at Robbie Lawler’s welterweight belt if he is able to top dos Anjos, and the sixth ranked 170-pounder Maia is not keen on the idea.

Demian Maia

Here’s what the Brazilian grappling ace told MMAFighting.com just yesterday:

“(It would be) Sad (if McGregor got a shot against Lawler), you know, because that’s crazy,” Maia said. “We are athletes, and we work very hard in our way to the title. I understand that this fight would make a lot of money, but as an athlete, I don’t agree with that. I can’t disagree more.

“If you think okay, you gotta work, do a couple fights at least to prove that you can fight because it’s a different division. But, at the end of the day, I don’t think he will win against Rafael.”

“It’s too much weight difference,” he said. “I think it’s a different body type. Rafael is very tough, he proved that in his last fights. I’m sure (Conor) has his chance, of course. He proved that against Aldo.

“Most people that understand the sport didn’t think he was going to win, and he did in a fashion way. It was crazy. I was shocked. I went to the corridor to watch the fight, just relax, and when the things happened I was shocked. I was really, ‘what the f—’.”

“Yeah, I will,” said Maia when asked if he would be pissed if McGregor gets a shot at the welterweight title.

“I hope he doesn’t win (against dos Anjos),” 

“Give me that title shot if I win,” said the Brazilian. “If I win that fight I wanna fight for the title. Forget about McGregor.”

Conor McGregor 197

McGregor might disagree, but to a certain extent Maia is right for the wrong reasons. Yes money is more important to the UFC and that sucks, but the effect on the featherweight division if he Conor takes a fight at welterweight could be devastating. Sure, the promotion could run an interim title, but will they do that for a trilogy maker between Chad Mendes and Jose Aldo, Frankie Edgar perhaps?

That said, a three weight world champion would just be insane.

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The Official UFC 196 Promo Will Give You Chills

UFC 196 could be a truly historic event, as featherweight champion Conor McGregor moves up to lightweight to battle Rafael dos Anjos in the main event. The brand new official promo video is here… Where will you be on March 5, 2016? If you’ve even heard of mixed martial arts, the chances are you’ll know

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UFC 196 could be a truly historic event, as featherweight champion Conor McGregor moves up to lightweight to battle Rafael dos Anjos in the main event. The brand new official promo video is here…

Where will you be on March 5, 2016? If you’ve even heard of mixed martial arts, the chances are you’ll know about the stacked event going down on that long awaited date. The main event features a highly anticipated lightweight championship bout, as Conor McGregor puts the featherweight division on hold to face his bitter rival and lightweight boss, Rafael dos Anjos. Ever since the ‘Go Big’ presser last November, the two elite combatants have been at loggerheads.

For Rafael dos Anjos, it’s a chance to avenge his countryman Jose Aldo, whom ‘The Notorious’ destroyed with a single punch at UFC 194. The 13-second spectacle was one of the craziest moments in modern MMA, and was very similar to another fighter on UFC 196’s schedule, Holly Holm.

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Love him or hate him, it’s clear that the mixed martial arts world is fixated with Conor McGregor. Both his antics inside and outside the UFC octagon are constantly followed, and his role as the biggest MMA heel in Jon Jones’ place has been a smooth transition.

His value to the promotion is unquestionable, and they’ve really pulled out all the stops for the official UFC 196 promo video, which has been gathering some serious heat.

Skip to page 2 to watch the spine tingling UFC 196 promo trailer that is hot off the press…

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Frankie Edgar Says He’ll Parachute In To UFC 200 To Beat Conor McGregor

Team USA vs. Team Ireland at UFC 200! What a fight that would be, and now Frankie Edgar sets the scene with some unique….trash talk? UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor has got on the wrong side of a lot of opponents during his UFC run, most notably during his wild year-long feud with former champ

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Team USA vs. Team Ireland at UFC 200! What a fight that would be, and now Frankie Edgar sets the scene with some unique….trash talk?

UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor has got on the wrong side of a lot of opponents during his UFC run, most notably during his wild year-long feud with former champ Jose Aldo. Perhaps the feelings Frankie Edgar has towards McGregor are stronger than anyone else’s though, and the two are yet to fight. ‘The Notorious’ moving up to lightweight has meant Edgar being made to wait for a title shot yet again, as the Irish star is now booked to face Rafael dos Anjos for the lightweight strap at UFC 197.

Aside from probably having to rematch Jose Aldo next to stay active, ‘The Answer’ has also voiced his displeasure with McGregor being allowed to put the featherweight title on hold, as he was denied the same luxury while serving as the lightweight champion. So for many reasons, Frankie is not too happy right now.

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It wouldn’t be a Frankie Edgar fight if he didn’t get just a little busted up…

The lack of trash talk has seemingly hindered Edgar’s rise to another title fight, but he’s looked to put that right lately, or at least through his manager assuming his identity on Twitter.

Talking to FOX Sports, the former lightweight boss had some interesting opinions on when he’ll finally face McGregor, and also the UFC 197 main event. Check it out:

“I kind of had an idea it was going to happen before it was announced, I think Conor played the smart move, he played the business move. You can’t blame him for that, it just sucks that it’s at my expense and now I’m in limbo since I was supposed to get that next title shot. If he stuck around and lost to me, he has no option to go up to 155. I think now he goes up, win or lose, he’s still got the belt and he can come back down to 145. He played the safe play which is smart by him.

“You don’t see usually where the guys have that much say. Usually when you’re the champion, you fight the No. 1 contender, you don’t get to pick and choose. But he seems to be able to do that.”

“Not much. It was pretty much wait and see what happens March 5 before they make any decision,” Edgar revealed. “I know I’m in line for it. I assume (Jose) Aldo is being considered, but I went out there and made my case. I think that is the biggest fight, I think that’s the fight most people are interested in seeing and I’m hoping the UFC does the right thing and books me and Conor for UFC 200.

“I’m pretty much on the backburner until March. I’m going to be in the gym to help my teammates and getting better and working on some southpaw fighters.”

Here’s the fun part:

Edgar vs. McGregor

Skip to page 2 for the rest of the awesome interview…

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RDA: McGregor Will Be Scared Once I Hit Him

Brash and outspoken Irish UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor has already begun his patented trash towards his next opponent, 155-pound title holder Rafael dos Anjos. The two men will do battle in the main event of March 5’s UFC 197, as McGregor attempts to become the first fighter in UFC history to hold two belts

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Brash and outspoken Irish UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor has already begun his patented trash towards his next opponent, 155-pound title holder Rafael dos Anjos.

The two men will do battle in the main event of March 5’s UFC 197, as McGregor attempts to become the first fighter in UFC history to hold two belts simultaneously. The “Notorious” one came into the UFC as a two-weight world champion in Cage Warriors, but dos Anjos doesn’t appear to be impressed with McGregor’s “amateur” accomplishments:

“UFC lightweight division isn’t the belt he got in Ireland when he fought a guy with a record of 2-7,” Dos Anjos told MMAFighting.com. “It’s a different world. He fought guys that don’t even have Sherdog pages. He holds belts off his amateur show in Ireland. It’s a different story to hold two UFC belts.”

As far as the talking goes, the Brazilian champion feels as if once he hits McGregor, it’s a whole different story:

Lightweight division is a different story. We’ll see. Everybody talks. Anthony Pettis talked before the fight. Donald Cerrone talked before the fight. See what happened? I’ll let him talk and we’ll see what happens. I hope he’s training hard. I think he’s going to be scared once I hit him.”

The Irishman completed his triumphant rise to the pinnacle of the 145-pound division last month, shockingly knocking out former long-time boss Jose Aldo in a mere 13-seconds. Now hungry for more, McGregor has decided to play his card against the big boys, and dos Anjos admits that the “Notorious” one has nothing to lose.

Despite this, RDA doesn’t feel any pressure, as he’s just excited with the fight coming to fruition:

“He doesn’t have anything to lose,” said Dos Anjos. “He’s a smart guy. He knows that if he loses to [featherweight contenders] Jose Aldo or Frankie Edgar, he doesn’t have anything. But at lightweight, if he wins, he’s the man. If he loses, he still has his belt.

“I don’t feel any pressure. I have to take care of my family, my team and my legacy. It’s one more fight. There isn’t anything special in this fight. I’m just happy to put my hands on this guy and make him humble. I think the toughest part of this camp will be not putting my hands on him before the fight happens.”

The bout was confirmed earlier this week, and McGregor wasted no time spitting out a controversial comment, calling dos Anjos a traitor to his country, and dedicating the bout to Brazil. As far as the champion is concerned, the Irish star is simply crazy:

“It doesn’t make any sense,” Dos Anjos said of McGregor’s comments. “We have a lot of Brazilians in the United States. It doesn’t mean we’re traitors to our country. I’ve got kids and I had to move for different things like better wrestling training partners here. I think that was a frustrated way to try to win the Brazilian fans. This guy is out of his mind. He’s going to try to do his best to try to mess with my head. I don’t hate him, but the Brazilians do. Brazil is on my side.”

Who will take over the lightweight division come March?

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