We are absolutely LOVING the look of UFC 197.
Reports emerging from the U.S.A. overnight suggest that the mysterious event that many claimed to have been pulled from its original location of Brazil was being moved to Las Vegas where it would be headlined by two gargantuan title fights.
Jeremy Botter of Bleacher Report broke the news late Thursday night, quoting sources that claim a lightweight title fight between Rafael dos Anjos and Conor McGregor will close out the UFC 197 card.
https://twitter.com/jeremybotter/status/685288570525859841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Many believed that this was the logical next step for ‘The Notorious’ who claimed featherweight gold in December before immediately indicating his desire to move directly up to 155 lbs for a title shot, something that seemed to have been given the green light by UFC president Dana White.
McGregor, who held both featherweight and lightweight titles in previous promotion Cage Warriors, looks set to attempt to become the first man in UFC history to do the same now that all talk of vacating his 145 lb strap seems to have been abandoned.
He comes up against a pressure fighter in RDA who shocked the world by snatching the lightweight title away from Anthony Pettis in March before defending it with ease against top contender Donald Cerrone last month.
Not only will Dos Anjos v McGregor be taking place on the March 5 event but the co-main event will also see a title on the line as Holly Holm will look to defend her bantamweight belt against Miesha Tate.
Holm became the second ever female 135 lb champion when she neck-kicked previous champion Ronda Rousey off her perch and many believed that Holm shouldn’t have gotten the title shot at UFC 193 at all, suggesting that Tate had done more to earn another shot at ‘Rowdy’ last time around.
But now Tate has been awarded that elusive title shot due to the fact that Holm has made it clear that she wants to remain as active as possible and the expectation that Ronda Rousey will be out until the summer at least, due to her injuries and prior engagements.
SportsJOE contacted the UFC on Friday morning but official confirmation and is yet to be received.
