UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos has promised to "finish" Conor McGregor when the pair meet in March.
Fresh from his brutal defeat of Jose Aldo in December 2015—to claim the featherweight crown—McGregor has decided to step up to 155 pounds to face Dos Anjos in a bid to hold an unprecedented two titles at once.
The Brazilian champion has sent out a warning to his UFC 197 opponent that he is going to show the Irishman the "worst side of the game," and he called into question his defeat of Aldo, per SB Nation's Guilherme Cruz:
Aldo was going to be the first to show him that, but there was no fight. I won’t call it luck, but a moment of distraction from Aldo. Maybe he got too emotive and tried to finish it quickly, but I won’t be like that. I will be calm and kick his ass for good. I want to finish him. I want to submit him, actually. Sometimes you knock someone out and the way they go down isn’t nice, but when you submit someone… I want to make him quit, I want him asking me to stop. That’s what I want.
McGregor is undefeated in seven fights in the UFC at featherweight, with his most recent defeat of Aldo a fast and brutal beating of the long-term champion, per BT Sport UFC:
If you're just waking up, the @UFC has a new Featherweight Champion! Congratulations @TheNotoriousMMA! #UFC194 https://t.co/LZHSuvAHFh
— BT Sport (@btsport) December 13, 2015
Dos Anjos has questioned whether he can keep himself from hitting the Irishman before the pair meet in the Octagon, but he is confident he can beat the outspoken McGregor, per Cruz: "I will be there to defend my belt and send him back to the featherweight division so Aldo can finish him for good. ... The most complicated part of all this will be control myself so I don’t put my hands on this lunatic before the fight, but I will hold on, be cool, and beat him up on March 5. It’s going to be beautiful."
The Notorious has quickly become one of the biggest draws in the UFC, and his fight with Dos Anjos is already attracting a huge amount of attention.
It is a quick turnaround from the Aldo fight, although McGregor had to do little, as he knocked out his opponent in 13 seconds at UFC 194.
However, he is taking a big risk in stepping up to face Dos Anjos, and although he will be confident, Ronda Rousey's recent unexpected humbling at the hands of Holly Holm should give him pause for thought.
Both Dos Anjos and McGregor will be confident they can prevail come March 5, and it will be fascinating to see who comes out on top with the Irishman breaking new ground.
