UFC 197: Rafael Dos Anjos Will Break Conor McGregor’s Soul, Says Coach

The UFC is reportedly going all in on UFC 197, giving bantamweight champion Holly Holm, featherweight champion Conor McGregor, and lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos top billing. Then ending the year with a bang, Irishman Conor McGregor incredibly knocked out the UFC’s first and longtime featherweight champion Jose Aldo in 13 seconds at UFC 194.

The UFC is set to announce that both fights will occur at UFC 197 in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 5, 2016.

In another surprising development, UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm will be defending her title against an opponent other than Ronda Rousey. Whereas Rousey elicited widespread condemnation for refusing to touch gloves with Holm prior to their fight, she turned cheers into boos when she rejected Tate’s extended hand after their rematch. Dos Anjos, who is 25-7, opened up as a minus 150 betting favorite. Worst-case scenario, he loses to dos Anjos and retreats to featherweight, where a bout with the Toms River, New Jersey native is still must-see TV.

Rafael dos Anjos’ words were actually made through his coach for his Kings MMA camp, Rafael Cordeiro. But it looks like Holm’s camp won the debate since they didn’t want their fighter to wait for Rousey to heal from her injuries and do the rematch.

And now Edgar is not holding his emotions back and has blasted out at both McGregor and UFC for their double standards and has even went to the extent of declaring that McGregor is calling the shots at UFC. “I bet Rafael will finish him in a brutal way, the same way he has finished his last fights”, he added.

A former titleholder in Strikeforce, Tate (17-5) will carry a four-fight winning streak into the five-round championship.

His fight with Dos Anjos is certainly interesting since McGregor has been looking to expand his domination in UFC.

Dos Anjos dispatched Cerrone in just one minute and six seconds also in December, and after retaining his lightweight belt was one of three fighters to call out McGregor. “Regardless of whether people think he deserves this or he deserves that, the truth is when one fighter gets paid more, it’s good for all of us”.