Conor McGregor won’t be the UFC’s first two-division champion any time soon. The organization’s featherweight champion was set to face lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos in what was to be an historic match at UFC 196 on March 5. That dream fight is now off, as Dos Anjos pulled out of the bout today thanks to a broken foot.
McGregor is still officially on the card, but the UFC is currently scrambling to figure out who can replace Dos Anjos. One option would be Donald Cerrone, who lost to Dos Anjos in December but beat Alex Oliveira over the weekend. While Cerrone fought Oliveira at welterweight, he has been a lightweight for virtually his entire career. Cutting weight could be an issue, but Cerrone is a guy who is always game for a fight and would likely shrug off the weight concerns.
Another option would be Nate Diaz who won a unanimous decision over Michael Johnson in December. While Diaz makes sense, I’m not sure Dana White is going to acquiesce to his demands:
Dos Anjos pulling out of the fight with McGregor is a huge blow to the UFC as it will miss out on the chance to market McGregor as a potential two division champion. That said, it might be better for McGregor to get a fight or two under his belt at lightweight before challenging Dos Anjos. In the long run it might be a better situation for all involved.
from The Big Lead http://ift.tt/1PWIkyV
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