Conor McGregor vs Rafael dos Anjos: Lightweight champion ignores 'behead' threat and says Brazil 'hates' McGregor

McGregor and Dos Anjos will face-off at UFC 197 in march for the lightweight championship as the Irishman looks to add to his featherweight title

UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos claims all of Brazil 'hates' Conor McGregor (Getty Images)

Conor McGregor’s attempt to add the lightweight championship to his featherweight crown has only just been announced, but that has not stopped the Irishman from threatening to “behead” his UFC 197 opponent Rafael dos Anjos.

McGregor has developed a reputation for being one of the most outspoken fighters in the UFC since rising to fame, though he cannot be accused of failing to deliver after he knocked out Jose Aldo at UFC 194 to win the featherweight title.

Not content with his success, McGregor will step up a weight to 155-pounds in March, when he will face current lightweight champion and Aldo’s compatriot Dos Anjos.

Unsurprisingly, the threat to “behead the American gringo”, despite Dos Anjos being a Brazilian living in America, did not go down well with the 31-year-old lightweight champion, although he admitted McGregor’s words will have no effect in trying to get fans on his side because all of Brazil hates him.

McGregor was at times ferocious in his verbal assault against Aldo, something that he matched in equal measures in the Octagon when he knocked out the Brazilian after 13 seconds with a devastating left hook.

Dos Anjos is not rising to the bait though, and he claimed McGregor’s most recent outburst was a feeble attempt to try and drum up support in Brazil ahead of the Las Vegas showdown.

Brazilian UFC fighters (L-R) Jose Aldo, Fabricio Werdum and Rafael dos Anjos pictured in 2015 (Getty Images)

“It doesn't make any sense,” Dos Anjos told MMAfighting.com. “We have a lot of Brazilians in the United States.

“It doesn't mean we're traitors to our country. I've got kids and I had to move for different things like better wrestling training partners here.

“I think that was a frustrated way to try to win the Brazilian fans. This guy is out of his mind. He's going to try to do his best to try to mess with my head.

“I don't hate him, but the Brazilians do. Brazil is on my side.”

The pair will face-off at UFC 197 on 5 March with Dos Anjos’s lightweight championship up for grabs.