Sherdog’s Top 10: Fights We Want to See in 2016

2. Conor McGregor vs. Rafael dos Anjos

The first wish of the New Year was granted when it was announced that these two would meet in a champion-versus-champion super fight at UFC 197. The media frenzy and hype machine have not yet gotten off the ground, but they soon will. While McGregor has become the hottest commodity in the sport, dos Anjos has quietly destroyed everything in his path at 155 pounds. There seems to be no slowing down the Brazilian.

Dos Anjos made his move by knocking out Benson Henderson, following it with a dominant win over Nate Diaz and then capturing the UFC lightweight championship by deposing Anthony Pettis. He retained his title with a 66-second stoppage of Donald Cerrone in December and has clearly established himself as one of MMA’s pound-for-pound best. Enter McGregor, who called out dos Anjos after blitzing Jose Aldo in 13 seconds in hopes of becoming the first fighter in UFC history to hold titles in multiple weight classes simultaneously.

Some experts believe dos Anjos to be too big and well-rounded for the Irishman to handle, but McGregor carries the ultimate neutralizer in the form of his left hand. No matter the outcome, the dos Anjos-McGregor showdown seems certain to overflow with drama and excitement.

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