UFC Fight Rumors 2016: Dos Anjos Out of McGregor Fight with Foot Injury
The buildup to the Conor McGregor-Rafael dos Anjos fight was so massive that everyone in the mixed martial arts industry couldn't wait to see both fighters get it on. So the news about Dos Anjos' broken left foot, forcing him to pull out of the fight, is a disaster for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
The lightweight title fight was supposed to be the main attraction for the highly anticipated UFC 196 fight card, but because the Brazilian lightweight titleholder felt like the injury limits his chances of winning against McGregor, he decided to pull the plug; what's left is the fact that Dana White and the UFC are now scrambling to find a replacement for an event that is slated to become one of the biggest of the year.
According to Dos Anjos, he tried to train through the injury in the hope that it'll get better a week before the fight. However, there hasn't been any progress as of late, forcing his team to call management to cancel the fight last Monday.
There is only a little over a week for the UFC to find a replacement and it is still unclear if the main card featuring McGregor will push through. This scenario is something that the Irish fighter is kind of familiar with. Last year, he was supposed to fight former featherweight champ Jose Aldo when the latter withdrew barely a week before the scheduled UFC 189 fight card. Luckily, the promotion found someone in time to fill in the person of Chad Mendes.
In case no one steps up to challenge McGregor, then it is likely that the co-main event for the March 5 card will be elevated as the main event, where recently crowned women's bantamweight champ Holly Holm defends the title she stole from Ronda Rousey against top contender Miesha Tate.
UFC 196 takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.