Rafael Dos Anjos looks forward to a potential Conor McGregor fight at welterweight
Conor McGregor appears to be on the verge of making his mixed martial arts return. Former lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos has thrown his name into the mix to be the former double champ's return fight.
I am clear for testing in February. I will complete my two tests per USADA and we are booking a fight.
Speaking at his UFC Orlando media day, the No.7-ranked lightweight shared his plans to compete at both lightweight and welterweight, where he has also been a title challenger. He then shared:
"Conor's fighting at 170, I think. I don't see him fighting at 155 anymore, but we'll see. That's the fight that makes sense too. We'll see what happens."
Dos Anjos was then asked if he was strictly interested in fighting big name fighters, to which he responded:
"Yeah, definitely. Guys that have a lot to bring the table. Guys that been there before. I think being a former champion, being so long with the company, I'm looking for guys that make sense to me. Guys with a lot of fights, too, and legends of the sport, and I think that's what I'm looking for."
After his loss to Rafael Fiziev, Dos Anjos took to Twitter to admit that his time competing for titles may be behind him:
I had my last title run…and now it is time to fight people that motivates me to wake up and train. I have almost eight hours of octagon time…get me a veteran for a change!I would love to fight guys like Jim Miller, Jorge Masvidal or get my rematch with Tony Fergunson or Guida.
With 32 fights in the UFC over a career that has spanned nearly 15 years, Dos Anjos has fought plenty of great fighters across both the lightweight and welterweight divisions. It should come as no surprise that he is now targeting a money fight against McGregor.
Felder, Chiesa, Edwards, Lee, Usman, Covington, Lawler, Magny, Saffiedine, Ferguson, Alvarez, Cerrone, Pettis, Diaz, Benson, High, Khabib, Cerrone.
For real, just stare at that list for a second.
You're looking at the last 18 men Rafael dos Anjos has fought. That's insane.
Watch Rafael Dos Anjos discuss potentially facing Conor McGregor below (starting at the 4:27 mark):
Josh Thomson unsure if Conor McGregor will return to the octagon
Conor McGregor has been inactive since breaking his leg at UFC 264 nearly 18 months ago. While the biggest star in mixed martial arts history has teased a comeback, former UFC lightweight Josh Thomson is not sure if it is for attention or if he will indeed make a comeback to the sport.
Speaking on his podcast, WEIGHING IN, the mixed martial arts analyst stated:
"He wants to get back in there and fight. I mean, I don't know if we're going to see him fight again. Maybe we will, maybe we won't. It just seems like he's keeping himself entertained. I feel like he uses social media to keep the attention on him when he's off, which is good. That's a marketing tool, that's what it's meant for. Social media was meant to build your brands."
Despite his inactivity, McGregor remains, by far, the most popular mixed martial artist. His popularity has led plenty of fighters into angling for his return fight, as his opponent will be in life for a hefty payday.
Watch Josh Thomson discuss Conor McGregor's comeback below (starting at the 1:16:15 mark):