Former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos still wants the Conor McGregor fight that never happened, but he has no intention of following Michael Chandler's example and spending two years on the sidelines waiting for it. McGregor's bout with Max Holloway at UFC 329 in July lasted just 69 seconds before a serious knee injury ended it. The Irishman has pencilled in April for his return to the Octagon. That timing could suit dos Anjos too, provided he gets past Alexander Hernandez at UFC 332.
The two were set to meet for the lightweight title as far back as 2016, at UFC 196, but an injury to the Brazilian scuppered the plan and McGregor ended up fighting Nate Diaz instead — twice. For dos Anjos, Saturday's bout will be his 50th professional fight and his 37th in the UFC. The 41-year-old veteran argues that today's fighters overthink strategy and fixate on 12-week training camps, when a real fighter should always be ready to answer the call.
