Rafael dos Anjos is desperate to get himself on the UFC 200 card.
The lightweight champion pulled out of UFC 196 just 12 days before he was due to defend his belt against Conor McGregor.
RDA’s broken foot is healing slowly but surely. He is able to do light gym work but insists he would be ready for July’s massive UFC 200 event.
There are already two titles fights [on interim] scheduled for the Las Vegas event and UFC chiefs are expected to add one more big-name clash.
Congrats on the Grand Opening tonight, @TMobileArena!
We'll see you July 9th! 👊🏽 #UFC200 pic.twitter.com/sJx7uqJdDn— UFC (@ufc) April 7, 2016
If he is to have any hope of getting involved, dos Anjos will have to glove up against No.1 lightweight contender Eddie Alvarez.
His requests to take on Nate Diaz, in a lightweight title bout, or welterweight champion Robbie Lawler [title super-fight] were both denied by the promotion. He told Inside MMA:
“I don’t like to challenge people. I’m not the type of guy to call anybody out.
“I’ve had 32 fights and I’ve always fought everybody. After these fights, I go from 100 to 0. So it was hard for me to go home and look at these [other] fights.
“Now, I just want to fight. I’ve kept my shape and, even with my injury, I’ve kept my diet… I want to fight anybody.”
Asked if the UFC gave him a reason, or two, for turning down those potential fights, the Brazilian said:
“Maybe they have other plans for me. I have to defend my belt against Eddie Alvarez. He is the No.1 contender, beat Anthony Pettis and is a former champion.
“I told the UFC I would fight anybody at lightweight or 170.”
Diaz, as we now know, is taking on McGregor again. Dos Anjos believes it is a fight that makes no sense.
“In my opinion, he will never fight at 145lbs again.”
