'My kicks, my stance, my grappling, my wrestling' - Rafael dos Anjos explains why he's a nightmare fight for Conor McGregor
Former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos is confident about getting the better of Conor McGregor if his fight with the Irishman ever comes to fruition. The 36-year-old Brazilian thinks that his explosive leg kicks, ability to grapple and wrestle will be difficult for McGregor to deal with.
Dos Anjos recently resumed his stint in the UFC lightweight division after competing in the 170 pound weightclass for more than three years. He last fought Paul Felder in November 2020, and successfully snapped his two-fight losing skid via unanimous decision win over 'The Irish Dragon'.
In a recent interaction with MMA Junkie, Rafael dos Anjos spoke on his future in the UFC, and the chances of his potential fight with Conor McGregor.
"I think I’m a very bad matchup for Conor (McGregor). Especially for my style, my kicks and southpaw stance, my grappling skills, my wrestling skills. That’s something that passed already. With the results of his last fights, I think our paths can cross again, but there’s so many options right now in that division," said dos Anjos.
The Brazilian further added that he would be willing to fight any competitor who is placed above him in the divisional rankings.
"I think anybody ahead of me in the ranks would be a good fight, I see Gaethje, he mentioned my name, Oliveira, all these guys, Chandler, even Tony (Ferguson). He is coming off two losses, but he’s ahead of me in the rankings. Tony was a guy that beat me on the follow-up fight when I lost my title. It could be a good way for me to build up, to re-write my history again, and to have that rematch would be cool too. So there's so many options, but I am pretty much open to fighting all these guys," said dos Anjos.
Rafael dos Anjos and Conor McGregor were expected to fight at UFC 196
Rafael dos Anjos was set to fight Conor McGregor at UFC 196 in March 2016. The 36-year-old was the lightweight champion back then, and was coming off a huge win over Donald Cerrone.
Meanwhile, McGregor had decided to move one weight class up after conquering the featherweight division, and stake a claim to the lightweight strap. However, his fight against dos Anjos didn't materialize since the Brazilian was forced to pull out of the fight owing to a leg injury.
Rafael dos Anjos is currently ranked No.7 in the UFC lightweight division, whereas, Conor McGregor slumped to No.6 following his shocking loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257.