The UFC lightweight division is ready to welcome recently crowned UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor, although it isn’t expected to be a warm one.
After pulling off an impressive 13-second win over previous champ Jose Aldo at UFC 194, McGregor did mention that he was contemplating on moving up to the lightweight division. Considering the popularity and the noise that McGregor recently made, the guys up there have already gotten word.
Rafael dos Anjos gave a glimpse of things to come in the lightweight division just recently, defeating Donald Cerrone at “UFC on Fox 17” last weekend in Orlando, Florida.
The reigning UFC lightweight champion needed just 66 seconds to finish off Cerrone, who was hoping to even the score after losing to dos Anjos back in 2013. However, as it turned out, Cerrone suffered a more devastating blow, receiving a left kick to the body, followed by a flurry of punches.
With that out of the way, dos Anjos called out McGregor.
“Conor McGregor said that he wanna come to my division. I think it’s not gonna be a smart decision for him, but if he wanna come, I will be happy to welcome him,” said dos Anjos via Yahoo Sports.
It is not only dos Anjos waiting in the wings for McGregor to come up to lightweight.
Nate Diaz is another fighter who wants to get his hands on the Irishman. Diaz is coming off a unanimous decision win over Michael Johnson as well in what turned out to be a striking war between the two fighters, as reported via Fox Sports.
With dos Anjos and Diaz calling out McGregor, it was only a matter of time before the UFC featherweight champion would come out in the open with a response of his own via Twitter.
"Line them up on their knees with their hands out," McGregor wrote. "I want them to beg me."
Line them up on their knees with their hands out. I want them to beg me. pic.twitter.com/YCYf0QslNR
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 20, 2015
McGregor has never been known to back down from a challenge, and is likely to engage in more trash talk. In fact, he could find himself barking at a lot of people in the coming months.
Right now, there is no official word on what McGregor is truly planning. However, despite a possible move up in division, “The Notorious” made it clear that he does not intend to vacate the UFC featherweight title.
Frankie Edgar is believed to be next up for McGregor despite the fact that many feel Aldo deserves an immediate rematch with the brash Irishman.
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