Rafael Cordeiro on Conor McGregor: Rafael dos Anjos Wants to ‘Break His Soul’ at UFC 197
Kings MMA frontman Rafael Cordeiro on Friday confirmed to Sherdog.com that Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight titleholder Rafael dos Anjos will defend his belt against featherweight champion Conor McGregor in the UFC 197 main event on March 5 in Las Vegas.
“We didn’t receive an official 100 percent confirmation from the UFC, but that’s something we’re waiting on,” Cordeiro said. “From our part, it’s already signed. It’s important to make it clear that this was a request from McGregor. Rafael is really happy to ‘welcome’ him in a brutal way to the lightweight division.”
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Cordeiro promised that dos Anjos would not alter his approach for McGregor.
“It’s a fighter that we truly believe we can beat,” he said. “He’s coming from a lower division, and he can be sure that he’ll face a strong champion who will not change his style. McGregor has already proven to be a great athlete, but we have five rounds to beat him and Rafael is coming in hungry to beat him, not only physically but spiritually, and to break his soul inside the Octagon. I bet Rafael will finish him in a brutal way, the same way he has finished his last fights.”
In addition to his commitment to dos Anjos, Cordeiro has been hard at work preparing UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum for his rematch with Cain Velasquez on Feb. 6.
“Werdum is in the final part of training,” he said. “Can has written history in the UFC and we respect him a lot, but Werdum has trained to beat him once again. He will neutralize his game, just like in the first fight. Of course, we cannot understimate Velasquez and say if it’s going to happen before five rounds. The most important thing for us is the victory, no matter if it’s by points, knockout or submission. What I can tell you is that Werdum is ready to finish the fight fast or win in a five-round war. What matters for us is leaving the Octagon with the win and the belt.”
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