Remy Danton
All Star
Lightweight Champion Rafael Dos Anjos made an appearance at "The MMA Hour" on Monday. The interview was centered on his upcoming bout with Conor McGregor at UFC 196, and what's at stake on this heated match up. Dos Anjos' interview with Ariel Helwani could either make you root for this guy, or be even more hyped about the super-fight.
About RDA's attitude towards McGregor:
"This guy thinks that he has class because he is dressed well, has good clothes and drives a nice car, but he is classless. He has no class, he's a low life. I don't take it personal, He is an actor and he's acting. I'm just going to go there and send him back home -- to his division. He's going to have so bad nightmare in the lightweight division for the rest of his life."
About keeping silent and not firing back at Conor during the press-conference:
"It wasn't difficult, you know. When I was a kid, my parents told me - you never argue with crazy people, you let them talk. I'm cold headed fighter. I just do my job and I'm going to put my hands on this guy. He's going to pay for everything he said outside the Octagon. He says bad things about my God, he says them about my wife and my kids. Of course, he's crossing the line. But in the Octagon is the place where everybody pays for such things."
About support that RDA gets from Irish fans:
"I have a lot of people. Even Irish fans come to me and say: "Please, shut the guy's mouth. He's been talking so much". Maybe 99% of the people I meet say the same thing. I'm going to do this for me, for my coaches and fans. And for my God. He's claiming to be the God, but he isn't one."
"A lot man, a lot of (Irish) guys. He's embarrassing his own people. He's making them feel ashamed. My neighbor is Irish, he has a wife and two kids. Every time we meet he says: "Beat this guy! Conor is embarrassing Irish people."
About Conor not being his toughest opponent:
"It's a big fight, but Conor isn't the most difficult opponent for me. For me it's one more fight. For sure, this fight is different from others because he was talking a lot, he is very popular and has a lot of fans. But I met guys like him before, so for me it's just a one more fight."
"Ben Henderson and Donald Cerrone (are tougher). They're different level, man. They're stronger and faster and taller than this guy. I think I have a chance to thank Dana White and Lorenzo for finally giving me some really easy fight. Finally."
About his game plan:
"I think I can beat this guy anywhere. If he fights a Jiu-Jitsu match, I will beat him. If I fight a Karate match, I will beat him. If I fight on K-1 rules, I'll beat him. I'm going to break his mind standing, so he will feel himself very bad. After I hit him hard several times, maybe if I want, I'll take him down. But I'm not going into this fight with a plan not to stand up with Conor. I'm a better fighter everywhere."
"I'm not saying that he's not a good fighter. He has a counter, he has a good straight left that I need to watch for. But he doesn't have anything that I haven't seen before. I fought Nate Diaz, who had has better boxing, longer, and very difficult to fight against. Cerrone is a very good Muay Thai guy, very long. I fought better guys before."
About money he will get for Conor's fight:
"I will make the same (money) as usual. Everybody likes money. I like money, I need money to survive, but you know I don't love money. Money is not my God, I don't worship money like he does. I'm happy with what I make. The money isnot everything. It's about the honor. I'm going to go there and show the world why I am the champion, and why I'm going to have this belt for a long time."
About Conor and his coach underestimating RDA:
"Conor doesn't respect anyone or anything. He said that my gym is a bum, but on his gym, everybody else lost. It was just Conor who won. We have two champions here, and we will have two champions for a long time."
"I'm training with the same guys I was doing this before. He isn't different from anyone I fought before. Maybe I will spar with Lyoto Machida and his brother. We have a lot of Karate guys here."
"Yes, man (I spar with a bigger fighter in Lyoto). I think that's the way we need to do this. I don't work on my comfort zone, that's why I'm the champion."
About RDA's prediction:
"I'm going to win for sure. I don't see how this guy can beat me. My prediction: this fight will not be five rounds. It will be two or three rounds. This guy won't be able to handle me for more than two rounds. He's going to break, like a girl."
About making the fight longer to punish Conor:
"I will see. If I have an opportunity to finish, I will finish him. I want to hit him first a couple of times. I want him to feel my power, because he has been having such a good time in the Octagon. Everything that he is predicting has been happening, but this time, his crystal ball is a bit blurry. I think he's not seeing it well. He's going to feel the difference. I'm going to show him the bad part of the Octagon. I went through the good parts and the bad parts, now I'm going to introduce him with the bad one."
Dos Anjos: 'Classless, low life' Conor McGregor is 'going to break, like a girl'
