After much speculation regarding the main event of UFC 197, the UFC made it official today by announcing that featherweight champion, Conor McGregor, will move up in weight to 155 lbs to challenge Rafael dos Anjos for the lightweight championship, and Holly Holm will defend her women’s bantamweight championship for the first time against Miesha Tate this March at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Boom! ?? 3.5.16 #UFC197: @TheNotoriousMMA vs @RdosAnjosMMA /@HollyHolm vs @MieshaTatehttps://t.co/FfmTWr96Z7pic.twitter.com/pb7FYJpmRM
— UFC (@ufc) January 12, 2016
McGregor will attempt to be just the third fighter in UFC history to hold a championship in two different weight classes (Randy Couture and B.J. Penn were the other two), and the first in UFC history to hold two title belts simultaneously. McGregor shocked the world when he knocked out longtime UFC featherweight champion and pound-for-pound king Jose Aldo in just 13 seconds in their title bout in December of last year.
dos Anjos is also coming off of a spectacular year of his own, when he defeated Anthony Pettis for the lightweight title at UFC 185 despite going into that fight as a substantial underdog. dos Anjos finished up his 2015 by decimating Donald Cerrone in the first round of their title fight, for dos Anjos’ first title defensive.
Much like Mcgregor and dos Anjos, Holm also defeated a heavily favored champion, when she knocked out the former women’s champion, Ronda Rousey, in the second round. Holm will be making her first title defense against Miesha Tate. Tate is currently on a four-fight win streak, with her only two octagon loses coming from Rousey and Cat Zingano.
Main Photo
Main Photo Credit: Conor McGregor celebrates after a first-round knockout victory over Jose Aldo in their featherweight title fight during UFC 194 on December 12, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
December 12, 2015| Credit: Steve Marcus / Getty Images Sport.
