Dos Anjos agrees to face McGregor next. Photo: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC
Shortly after knocking out José Aldo and win the definitive belt in the UFC featherweight division, Conor McGregor stated that his next plan would be to move up a category and face the lightweight champion. Rafael dos Anjos, who successfully defended the title in the under-70 kg division, was not opposed to the idea and was open to welcoming the Irishman at the new weight.
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“Conor said he wants to come to my division – it’s not my choice, but if he did I would be happy to welcome him,” said Dos Anjos, moments after running over Donald Cerrone and defend the title in the main fight of UFC on FOX 17, in Orlando (USA).
In the fight, Dos Anjos surprised by dispatching the tough Cerrone in just over a minute. The Brazilian explained that he was not necessarily looking for a quick victory, but that what happened was the result of an opportunity that arose.
“I knew I would have 25 minutes to win the fight, but, already in the octagon, my coaches, Roberto Gordo and Rafael Cordeiro, told me not to miss any opportunity. If I connected something, I was supposed to go up and try to take advantage of it. I landed a knee on his body and it was enough to knock him out”, recalled the champion.
Originally a jiu-jitsu fighter, Dos Anjos celebrated another knockout in the octagon and highlighted his evolution in stand-up fighting. “I started in the UFC as a jiu-jitsu fighter, but since moving to California four years ago, I've been training hard with master Rafael Cordeiro. He knows how to deal with fighters and has helped me a lot. It's something I like to train – boxing, Muay Thai, and I like to improve all the time. This is just the beginning”, said Dos Anjos, referring to the coach who also improves his game on his feet. Fabricio Werdum, UFC heavyweight champion.
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