"I actually wanted to slap him on the face" - Rafael dos Anjos on his intense 2016 face-off with Conor McGregor
Rafael dos Anjos has revealed he “actually wanted to slap” Conor McGregor during the face-off before their ‘champion vs. champion’ super-fight.
In early 2016, then-UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos was set to defend his title against then-UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor. However, RDA withdrew from the fight due to a foot injury.
Rafael dos Anjos subsequently lost the lightweight title to Eddie Alvarez in July 2016, and Alvarez lost the title to Conor McGregor in November 2016. On that note, McGregor and RDA were involved in a backstage altercation at the UFC 264 weigh-ins in July of this year.
Conor McGregor had a backstage altercation with Rafael Dos Anjos. They were meant to fight at UFC 196 👀 but RDA pulled out with a foot injury. #UFC264 https://t.co/czaPi5XNrG
In an interview with RT Sport MMA, Rafael dos Anjos recalled the UFC 264 incident and expounded upon how intense their 2016 stare-down was. Regarding the 2016 face-off, RDA stated:
“Yeah, I was pretty emotional. But that was far away from the fight. On fight night, (I wasn’t). I was that way with Colby (Covington), too. But, I mean, on the fight night, I don’t let emotions kind of lead me. I always deal well with pressure, and I deal well with emotions as well. Of course, on that face-off, I was kind of pretty angry, too. I actually wanted to slap him on the face that time."
"But I made sure I kind of gave him like a strong looking, and I make sure I look him right on the eyes. But that’s not something that bothers me like, going through the fight. On fight night, I know what I have to do. And I’ve been there dozens of times. I have, 43 times, so it’s a lot of times. So, I know how to deal with emotions.”
You can watch Rafael dos Anjos speak about his 2016 face-off against Conor McGregor in the video below:
Could the Rafael dos Anjos vs. Conor McGregor dream match materialize in 2022?
The Rafael dos Anjos vs. Conor McGregor matchup has long been regarded by many as an exciting clash of styles. The fight didn’t come to fruition back when both fighters were UFC world champions. Nevertheless, the rivalry between RDA and ‘The Notorious’ is as intense as ever, with both fighters having taken multiple jibes at one another over the years.
Presently, RDA is on a quest to reclaim the UFC lightweight title and is aiming to return to the octagon in January or February 2022. Meanwhile, Conor McGregor is recovering from his leg injury and has suggested he’ll return in mid-2022.
Conor McGregor has hinted at potentially facing Dustin Poirier for the fourth time, besides also teasing a rematch against Max Holloway. Moreover, the Irishman has indicated he could move up to welterweight again and perhaps even make his middleweight debut.
Considering the aforementioned variables at play, a potential RDA vs. Conor McGregor matchup seems unlikely to be booked anytime soon.