Sean Sheehan 
Potentially huge news for Irish mixed martial arts today as Conor McGregor’s next fight has been announced. According to Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter, featherweight champion McGregor will step up in weight for a superfight with lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos. The fight is set to take place at UFC 197 in Las Vegas on March 5th 2016.
https://twitter.com/jeremybotter/status/685288570525859841?s=09
A former two-weight Cage Warriors champion, McGregor made a huge impression with a 67-second knockout of Marcus Brimage in his UFC debut in 2013. Wins over Max Holloway, Diego Brandao, Dustin Poirier and Dennis Siver followed that before McGregor won the interim featherweight strap at UFC 189 against Chad Mendes in July last.
In December, he made that title the full version with a 13-second demolition of long-term champion Jose Aldo and boosted himself to megastar status. If he is successful against Dos Anjos, McGregor will become the UFC’s first ever two weight champion.
For Rafael Dos Anjos it has been a slower, but in the end impressive, journey to the top. Entering the UFC way back in 2008 as an 11-2 prospect, RDA’s potential was quickly questioned with losses to Jeremy Stephens and Tyson Griffin in his first two Octagon displays. And even though he bounced back with three consecutive wins, more losses to Clay Guida and Gleison Tibau had many calling Dos Anjos somewhat of a career journeyman. But then it all changed.
Since that loss to Tibau in November 2011 Dos Anjos has only tasted defeat once – to Khabib Nurmagomedov – in ten fights and won the UFC title with a 5-round crushing of Anthony Pettis in March before defending his title against Donald Cerrone in December.
Also reported to be on the card is Holly Holm’s first defence of the bantamweight title she won from Ronda Rousey at UFC 193. The former professional boxing ace will take on veteran MMA fighter and former Strikeforce champion Miesha Tate in what’s sure to be one of the biggest cards of the year.
Stay tuned to SevereMMA for more details as they break.
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