UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos is reportedly out as the co-headliner in next week’s UFC 196 main event against featherweight champion Conor McGreor, MMA Fighting reported .
Dos Anjos reportedly suffered a broken foot in the final week of camp and the UFC reportedly is searching for a short-notice replacement to face the popular Irish fighter.
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The March 5 card at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas features Holly Holm vs. Miesha Tate as the other co-main event. The fight will be Holm’s first since she defeated Ronda Rousey.
The 31-year-old dos Anjos (25-7) has won five cosnecutive fights, including his dominant championship victory over Anthony Pettis in March and his 66-second TKO victory over Donald Cerrone in his first and only title defense. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai black belt, dos Anjos’ withdrawal will be a huge disappointment for MMA fans.
McGregor (19-2) is easily the biggest name in UFC at the moment and would have faced one of his toughest tests to date in dos Anjos, who’s considered a top 5 pound-for-pound fighter. This isn't new territory for McGregor, who saw opponent Jose Aldo withdraw just a few weeks before their highly anticipated UFC 189 title fight because of a rib injury.
McGregor went on to defeat Mendes at UFC 189, and stunned the MMA world at UFC 194 in December when he halted Aldo's 18-win streak, claiming the UFC featherweight title with a 14-second KO victory.
At this point, the late replacement options are limited. Former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar was positioning for a shot at McGregor, but the New Jersey native is currently dealing with an injury that will keep him from stepping in, according to Ariel Helwani. Then there is workhorse Donald Cerrone, who is willing to fight any time, any where. The issue here is, of course, that Cerrone just fought on Sunday, Feb. 21, defeating Alex Oliveira via triangle choke. A 14-day turnaround may be even too much for the durable Cerrone.
The UFC has yet to outright cancel the fight and will continue to look for a replacement.
Contributing: Troy Machir