The next bout Rafael dos Anjos wants to be a major one.
After Conor McGregor’s most recent victory in the UFC octagon on Saturday, the former lightweight champion issued a challenge to him. In the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 42, veteran Rafael Dos Anjos (32-14 MMA, 21-12 UFC) submitted Bryan Barberena (19-8 MMA, 10-6 UFC) and immediately issued a challenge to the Irish superstar.
Dos Anjos believes he has earned a bout of that caliber.
“Look at my resume, I fought everybody,” dos Anjos said.
“I need to fight somebody, I think I earned this fight. I will not ask UFC for extra crazy paydays, I just want to have that fight. And yeah, July works perfect for me. We’ll see what happens.”
In 2016, Dos Anjos was supposed to defend his championship against McGregor. Unfortunately, the Brazilian was replaced by Nate Diaz when he broke his foot during training. Dos Anjos’s return saw him knocked off as champion by Eddie Alvarez, and a rematch with McGregor never materialized.
Lots of things have transpired since the last time these two were matched up for a battle. McGregor is out of action right now while he nurses a leg injury. He no longer has to worry about being tested by USADA and has put on some serious muscle.
Upon being asked if he suspected McGregor was using PEDs, dos Anjos responded affirmatively.
“Yeah, he’s out of USADA,” dos Anjos said.
“Why he’s out of the pool? His body looks so different, but I’ll give him some time to get clear.”
