It seems Conor McGregor is so confident heading into UFC 264, that he thinks he could beat two top 10 Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweights at the same time.
Conor McGregor and Rafael dos Anjos trade insults on Twitter
Earlier today, the news came down that one-time UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos was in Las Vegas for UFC 264, and the 36-year-old looked to be in the midst of a weight cut. The Brazilian is not scheduled for the card being held inside the T-Mobile Arena. However, it led to speculation he could be the promotion’s backup option in case McGregor or main event dance partner Dustin Poirier were unable to reach the Octagon for Saturday night’s headliner.
The UFC has not officially announced dos Anjos as a backup for the fight, but in the past, the organization has had competitors make the trip to an event and cut weight, in the event a last-minute change is needed to save a prominent main event. One well-known, and recent example being former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler serving as an official backup for the 2020 UFC 254 headliner between former division king Khabib Nurmagodmedov and Poirer.
https://twitter.com/TheNotoriousMMA/status/1413085200536412165
Once word spread that the seventh-ranked lightweight seemed to be an unofficial backup and possible opponent, McGregor took to Twitter to suggest a handicap, two-on-one match at UFC 264.
“Put Dos Anjos in at the same time,” McGregor wrote.
Six hours later, dos Anjos responded to “Notorious’” comment with a not-so-subtle barb about McGregor and The Proper Twelve whiskey company he founded and is a brand ambassador for.
https://twitter.com/RdosAnjosMMA/status/1413172551484809225
The two were actually set to face each other in 2016 at UFC 196, for dos Anjos’ lightweight championship. However, the champion was unable to make the date and would lose his title in his next Octagon appearance against Eddie Alvarez.
Matched with their previous history, his ranking in the 155-pound top 10, and availability, dos Anjos does make an interesting backup option for the UFC 264 main event.
Who would you rather see dos Anjos face in a worst-case scenario? McGregor or Poirier?
