Conor McGregor: Rafael dos Anjos is 'bum version' of Jose Aldo, I'll 'dust him in under one minute'
LAS VEGAS -- Mystic Mac has spoken.
Conor McGregor has called his shot in almost every UFC fight thus far, predicting how he'll beat his opponent and sometimes even the exact round. On Wednesday, the brash Irishman looked into his crystal ball and came up with a prophecy for his lightweight title fight with Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 197 on March here.
"I believe I will dust Rafael inside one minute," McGregor said at the on-sale press conference. "He is a slower, sloppier version of [Jose] Aldo. He's like a bum version of Aldo. I believe in absolutely everything, I believe that inside one minute I will dust him. I will exit the contest fresh, I will cash the check, I will sign the next contract for UFC 200 -- the brand new MGM [arena] -- and we'll go again."
McGregor beat Aldo by knockout in just 13 seconds at UFC 194 last month to win the UFC featherweight title. Now, three months later, he'll be challenging dos Anjos for the lightweight belt. "The Notorious" is trying to become the first person to ever win two UFC titles in two weight classes at the same time.
And he's very confident that will happen despite dos Anjos' dominant performance against elite fighters like Benson Henderson, Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone.
"You can talk about your wins and losses, but at the end of the day you've tasted that darkness of being KO'd stiff and you will taste it again on March 5," McGregor said.
At the press conference, dos Anjos was asked about McGregor's move up to 155 pounds. The Brazilian champion said it was a "bad idea."
"Lightweight is a different story," dos Anjos said. "We're bigger."
McGregor shot back that dos Anjos is 5-foot-8 with a 70-inch reach, while McGregor is 5-foot-9 with a 74-inch reach.
"I'm the bigger man here," McGregor said. "I'm gonna bully this man in his own division."
Dos Anjos replied: "You're nothing."
McGregor said there is a certain "tenseness" when dos Anjos loads up for punches. He said he's slow, stiff and wild with his strikes. McGregor believes he'll "guide" dos Anjos onto some strikes and it will be a short night.
"It will be another KO," McGregor said. "I'd love to beat the ugly out of him and drag him into the second and third rounds. I would love to do that. But I feel like I'm gonna dust him in under one minute."