SageB
White Belt
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- Feb 12, 2016
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Everything he has said would happen, has happened. He said he would knock Dustin Poirier out in the first round, he did it. He said he would knock Chad Mendes out in the second round, he did it. He said he would knock the champion, Jose Aldo out in one round, he did it...in 13 seconds. He even described how he would win the belt. Jose overextends on a right hand and Conor clips him with the left, it happened. Now McGregor looks to make good on a prediction that came even before he was in the UFC. McGregor stated he would be a two-weight champion in the UFC's featherweight and lightweight divisions, and now he gets his chance.
Standing in the way of McGregor's vision will be the champion, Rafael Dos Anjos. At first glance, this fight is a nightmare for McGregor. Dos Anjos is a pressure fighter who perfectly mixes his striking and ground attack. Dos Anjos is all about backing his opponents to the fence and getting them off balance where his wild strikes and takedowns will be most effective. This was evident in his fight against Anthony Pettis, where he backed Pettis up and never allowed him to get his own game started. That is Dos Anjos' whole game, getting his game started before his opponent and making sure they never start. Whenever Pettis would even begin to set up a strike Dos Anjos was already in his face punishing him for thinking about an attack.
At first glance, McGregor vs Dos Anjos is a similar fight to Pettis vs Dos Anjos; two flashy strikers (Pettis and McGregor) who like to fight at distance and aren't used to being pressured. But it is actually a very different fight when you break it down. With Anthony, every strike he throws is a set up for a big finishing move. From the beginning of a fight, he already has his plan and doesn't care as much about beating you up as he does getting you in position for one of his viscous kicks. Pettis likes space and and time to work. McGregor on the other hand, doesn't plan that far in advance and makes his own space by pressuring his opponents: where as Pettis makes his space by moving further away from his opponent. Also unlike Pettis, McGregor is a counter striker, which many people aren't taking in to consideration with this fight. Where Pettis was flustered when RDA would throw wild hay makers, McGregor will be looking for opportunities to strike. McGregor thrives off people over extending themselves (see Jose Aldo fight) and uses it to land his left hand from hell.
Keys for Rafael Dos Anjos: Even though McGregor is a counter striker, he is also a pressure fighter. Rafael Dos Anjos first key is too pressure McGregor and put his back to the fence so that he can't do the same. Not only will this throw off McGregor's pressure game but it will allow him to set up the takedown, which leads us to the second key: the takedown. McGregor has been susceptible to takedowns in the past (Mendes, Siver) and if Dos Anjos wants the easiest path to victory, he should be looking for them at every opportunity. McGregor is not from a grappling background and his body will not be as used to the wrestling grind as the champ. The third key for RDA is to use his brutal body shots. McGregor claims he doesn't get tired and once he moves up to lightweight his cardio will be even better. If Dos Anjos has any chance of slowing him down, it is mixing his body shots and takedowns. He used a body kick to setup a stoppage of "Cowboy" back in December. The fourth and final key for RDA is to look for McGregor to plant his feet and smash him with leg kicks. We all know McGregor has a powerful left hand. All the power he creates with his punches come from his hips and legs. To throw a powerful punch, you need to a good base. That is why you do not see Dominick Cruz knock people out (usually). Cruz never plants his feet stationary so he can get out of the way of his opponents strikes but he never plants his feet still to derive maximum power. Mcgregor comes out one of two ways as I discussed in my Conor McGregor Breakdown. If he comes out like he did against Mendes and Siver (although, I doubt he will) and wants to stand in front of RDA and throw combinations, Dos Anjos will have many openings to throw his power, leg kicks and kill McGregor's power. If he mixes in his four keys and does it well, there is a good chance we will still have the same champion on March 5th.
Keys for Conor McGregor: Conor can come out one of two ways against RDA. He can stand in front of him and wear him down with punches and body kicks (like in the Mendes/Siver fights) or he can be mobile and spring back and forth, looking for ways to setup his......Part 2 click here -->https://shovelpunch.wordpress.com/2016/02/12/conor-mcgregor-vs-rafael-dos-anjos-breakdown/
