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08th Jan 2016

UFC champ Rafael Dos Anjos is ready to ‘brutally finish’ Conor McGregor at UFC 197

Ben Kenyon

Rafael Dos Anjos vs Conor McGregor hasn’t officially been confirmed yet, but the fighting talk has already begun.

We’re still awaiting Dana White’s announcement of the superfight between the lightweight champion Dos Anjos and the featherweight champion McGregor at UFC 197, but the first shot has been fired.

It came from the camp of the Brazilian champ as Kings MMA frontman Rafael Cordeiro says their man is ‘ready to break McGregor’s soul’.

According to Sherdog, Cordeiro said: “We didn’t receive an official 100% confirmation from the UFC, but that’s something we’re waiting on.

“From our part, it’s already signed. It’s important to make it clear that this was a request from McGregor.

“Rafael is really happy to ‘welcome’ him in a brutal way to the lightweight division.”

Reports state the fight between The Notorious and Dos Anjos will take place on March 5 in Las Vegas, where just weeks ago McGregor destroyed pound-for-pound king Jose Aldo in a record-breaking 13 seconds.

LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 12: Conor McGregor leaves the Octagon after his first-round knockout victory over Jose Aldo in their featherweight title fight during UFC 194 on December 12, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images)

Despite the hype around the Dublin fighter, who is aiming to become the UFC’s first champion to hold two belts simultaneously, Cordeiro says Dos Anjos will not change his game for the fight.
“It’s a fighter that we truly believe we can beat,” he said.

“He’s coming from a lower division, and he can be sure that he’ll face a strong champion who will not change his style.

“McGregor has already proven to be a great athlete, but we have five rounds to beat him and Rafael is coming in hungry to beat him, not only physically but spiritually, and to break his soul inside the Octagon.

“I bet Rafael will finish him in a brutal way, the same way he has finished his last fights.”

Over to you McGregor…