UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor could be facing tall odds when he comes face-to-face with UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos set for March 5 in Las Vegas.
Right now, the odds are all against McGregor seeing that this will be his first taste of lightweight action and against the champion at that.
Though “The Notorious” has been known to defy the odds and surprise many with his ability to walk his talk, the reality of it all is that he is facing someone who carries almost the same things he can churn out but at a heavier weight class.
Dos Anjos makes a living out of good striking (inside and outside), can wrestle and knows Brazilian jiu-jitsu. With the champion carrying that and fighting at a weight class which he has obviously dominated, one can just ponder on what kind of game plan McGregor has up his sleeve.
A look at Bovada.lv somehow begs to agree with the mounting odds being stacked against the Irishman. After betting lines opened, McGregor is an even-money underdog while dos Anjos is listed as a -130 favorite.
For the ones who aren’t familiar with it, here is an illustration. For the ones who bet $100 on McGregor, they would get a $100 return in profit. On the other hand, those betting on dos Anjos would need to shell out $130 to earn a $100 return, as explained via Sherdog.com.
While the odds could change once the money flows in, it may not necessarily see a dramatic change.
With that on the betting boards, the time for McGregor to prove UFC president Dana White right could be at UFC 197.
White recently made McGregor an exception (with reference to vacating the UFC featherweight title before being allowed to move up a weight class), believing that a triumph of McGregor over dos Anjos would be another epic feat for the UFC record books.
McGregor has made a name for himself doing the impossible, and perhaps this is the best time to do just that.
Will we see another round of mind games and chit-chat on the end of McGregor? Though his previous opponent (Jose Aldo) claimed it didn’t do much to affect him, it seemed to have thrown him off his game a bit. Everyone knows that shocking 13-second win he pulled off at UFC 194.
Even if he does, would if affect dos Anjos?
By all accounts, everyone seems to be siding with dos Anjos though one never knows the ploy that McGregor can pull out.
Another super punch perhaps on the part of the Notorious?
Seeing that this is a heavier weight class, McGregor may need to bulk up or connect more than once to overcome the odds, as mentioned on MMA Junkie.
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