After capturing the UFC lightweight crown nine months ago, Rafael dos Anjos (pictured) will finally make his first title defense Saturday when he battles Donald Cerrone at UFC on FOX 17.
There is more on the line besides the hardware, however. The victor could very well score a money fight against UFC featherweight champ Conor McGregor in their next outing.
As it currently stands, dos Anjos is more than a 2-1 odds-on favorite to retain his belt against “Cowboy.” Cerrone, meanwhile, checks in as +175 underdog to capture the ever-elusive gold.
McGregor will be watching with keen interest. He will likely stay at featherweight if dos Anjos remains champ.
Amway Center in Orlando, Florida serves as host.
Here are the wagering lines for Saturday’s fights:
Preliminary Card:
Francis Ngannou +100
Luiz Henrique -130Vicente Luque -110
Hayder Hassan -120Leon Edwards +175
Kamaru Usman -220Jim Alers -150
Cole Miller +120Danny Castillo -105
Nik Lentz -125Tamdan McCrory +145
Josh Samman -175Valentina Shevchenko +190
Sarah Kaufman -240Nate Marquardt +270
CB Dollaway -370Charles Oliveira +105
Myles Jury -135Main Card:
Karolina Kowalkiewicz +160
Randa Markos -200Nate Diaz +350
Michael Johnson -500Alistair Overeem +275
Junior Dos Santos -375Donald Cerrone +175
Rafael dos Anjos -220