Rafael dos Anjos just unleashed a masterclass performance against Renato Moicano at UFC 272, and he’s already got his sights set on another opponent. Once upon a time, in 2016, RDA and McGregor were set to fight at UFC 196. When dos Anjos sustained a foot injury that kept him out of the fight, Nate Diaz stepped up and submitted Conor McGregor in the second round.
Now, six years later, RDA told the UFC 272 post-fight press conference that the time might well have finally come for him to fight “The Notorious”.
RDA: Finally Fighting Conor McGregor “Would Make a Lot of Sense”
“It looks like Islam [Makhachev] is going to fight Beneil Dariush. He had a chance to fight me tonight and he didn’t. At 170 pounds, I took that fight. They (didn’t). I don’t know. It looks like Conor is coming back in the summer. That could be a good one.
A title fight is already scheduled. We’ll see, man. A lot of things can happen. I just want to be active. I want to be training. I need good names. I’ve been in this game for so many years and fought everybody in two divisions. I need names that make me want to go to the gym and train hard for it. That’s what I want.”
Dos Anjos continued, pointing out that the McGregor fight is something that intrigues him. Fighting Conor McGregor means a huge payday for any fighter, but as RDA says, they both endured long layoffs in recent memory, and both aspire to reclaim the UFC lightweight championship.
“I think the moment that we live in right now, that fight would make a lot of sense. I was on a 16-month layoff. Conor broke his leg and is coming back in the summer, I think. That would make sense.
The division is kind of crazy right now and I think that fight would make a lot of sense. That would be a big money fight, of course. We have a history, too.
Like I said, I’m looking for names that make me want to go to the gym and train. It’s been so many years in this game. I don’t want to fight names that don’t interest me, that don’t push me to go to the gym. I’m 37 years old, fought pretty much everybody in two divisions.”
While McGregor undoubtedly wants to take on Charles Oliveira and reclaim UFC gold, it’s possible that he’ll need at least one win under his belt before he’s allowed to fight for another title. Taking on a fellow striking-heavy lightweight of a similar vintage to him might well be Conor McGregor’s path moving forward.
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