It’s official! Rafael Dos Anjos vs Conor McGregor is on! Save the date, March 5 at UFC 196. Are you excited about this champion vs. champion fight? We sure are! We predict that RDA from the EVOLVE Fight Team will dominate McGregor completely in every area and continue his reign as UFC’s Lightweight World Champion! In fact, we believe that RDA will finish McGregor early.

Today, Evolve Daily shares 7 Reasons Why Rafael Dos Anjos Will Destroy Conor McGregor:

1) RDA is the better, bigger, faster, and stronger athlete

RDA is a big lightweight. In between fights, he walks around 185 lbs and cuts a lot of weight during fight week. That means Dos Anjos already has the upper hand in terms of size. He will definitely be physically stronger than McGregor. More than the strength though, RDA is a special athlete with speed, explosiveness, balance, power, and cardio. He also has the ability to adapt to his opponents very well.

Although McGregor also fights in the southpaw stance, Dos Anjos will definitely make the necessary adjustments and of course, be relentless with his attacks. Just watch his previous fight against Benson Henderson, another southpaw fighter, and you’ll understand why we’re on Team RDA!

2) RDA has big KO power and hits harder than Conor does

After years of intense training under the Muay Thai World Champions from Evolve MMA and under Kings MMA’s Rafael Cordeiro, it is safe to say that Dos Anjos has a powerful and precise striking game, and has a superb blend of technique and power. He is as technical as he is powerful. His precision with KO power is devastating, but his timing and speed is what sets him apart. Dos Anjos believes in surrounding himself with the best coaches and teammates on the planet and that is why he has the best of the East and West in his corner in both EVOLVE and Kings MMA.

What’s more, he has knocked out some of the toughest UFC fighters, such as Donald Cerrone – in their recent fight which took place earlier this month, and Benson Henderson, among others.

Because McGregor has never fought (let alone KO-ed anyone) in UFC’s lightweight division, we believe that RDA will easily be Conor’s toughest opponent yet.

3) RDA is the better wrestler…by far

Wrestling is obviously one of Dos Anjos’ strong points. Just look at his flawless execution of the double leg takedown, his go-to move whenever he gets his opponent against the fence.

Besides being an aggressive striker with great strength and precision, RDA is also strong when it comes to defensive wrestling – thanks to his swift, forceful sprawl. What’s more, he is able to use the fence to his advantage, and can usually get back on his feet easily.

Unfortunately for McGregor, wrestling isn’t one of his greatest strengths – so he might find himself on the ground numerous times.

4) RDA is a high-level, world-class BJJ black belt

Dos Anjos has held a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt for almost a decade, and is probably the best grappler in the UFC’s lightweight division. This is all thanks to his years of success in jiu-jitsu competitions, where he competed under the Gracie Barra academy. Also, he has spent a lot of time training under Roberto “Gordo” Correa, who is one of the best grappling coaches in the world and has trained with elite black belts his entire career like his ex-roommate and current teammate, Leandro “Brodinho” Issa.

When it comes to grappling, RDA is dangerous while on his back – this is when he’ll probably find an opening to execute the kimura, or attempt a triangle or armbar.

Besides that, he has a strong top game, and often slices through his opponent’s guard with ease. Anyone who has ever rolled with RDA knows that he has very heavy top pressure and has incredible balance. Also, it is challenging for RDA’s opponents to keep up with him for long periods of time because he’s extremely active with his submission attempts and position advances.

Without a doubt, Dos Anjos’ impressive ground control will help him to submit McGregor with ease.

5) RDA has phenomenal 5-round cardio and never fades

In his fight with Pettis, Dos Anjos went hard all 5 rounds without losing a beat. He went 100 miles an hour without ever slowing down. At the end of the fight, RDA still looked fresh and ready to go another 5 rounds. This is all thanks to his conditioning with Nick Curson, who has produced multiple World, National, International and Collegiate Champions. RDA is the rare athlete who can go 100% for 5 rounds without ever fading. McGregor slowed down visibly in his fight against Chad Mendes and was on pace to fade if the fight went to the 3rd round.

Apart from his outstanding stamina, Dos Anjos’ strength and speed makes him a force to be reckoned with. That’s why we think McGregor should be afraid, especially if the fight drags on for 5 rounds!

6) RDA is as mentally tough as Conor is

Conor’s biggest strength is his confidence and mental toughness. He has a winner’s mindset. Unfortunately for McGregor though, RDA also has the same level of mental toughness and self-belief. Watch this video above and you will know that RDA is adversity-tested, battle-certified, and cage-proven. He has been through a lot tough times in life as well as in fighting. And he has always conquered adversity in his life.

Ask any martial artist, and you’ll know that it takes a great amount of courage and strength to bounce back from a major injury. For Dos Anjos, this injury was a broken jaw, which he got in 2010 from his fight against Clay Guida. However, he did not let that stop him from returning to the cage. In fact, he turned this injury into one of his strengths when he fixed his jaw with titanium plates.

What’s more, Dos Anjos didn’t let a knee injury stop him from taking the UFC Lightweight World Champion title from Pettis. Instead, he kept his emotions in check despite not being at 100% and battling an unstable, weak knee during the fight. He still had the ability to execute the right techniques at the right time.

Dos Anjos is also riding a huge win streak and his confidence is at an all-time high after destroying Donald Cerrone in 66 seconds. In RDA’s fight against McGregor, we’re certain that he will deliver yet another great performance and finish McGregor early.

7) RDA is hungry to cement his legacy as the greatest legend in history

Dos Anjos’ journey to becoming UFC’s Lightweight World Champion was not a smooth one. But that never stopped him from pursuing and achieving his dream of being a top notch MMA fighter.

Even after he has been crowned the UFC Lightweight World Champion, he constantly works on improving himself and staying on top of his game. Also, his passion to make his mark in the MMA world, along with his unbreakable warrior spirit, drives RDA to keep moving forward.

“I want to be the legend of this division. I want to be a lightweight legend like B.J. Penn,” Dos Anjos reveals in an interview.

The bottom line is that RDA can win the fight in many ways. He is too powerful and too strong and too technical for McGregor. Our prediction is that RDA will either KO or submit McGregor easily. Are you now convinced that Dos Anjos will successfully defend his Lightweight World Champion title?