Rafael dos Anjos has reportedly been forced to pull out of his Las Vegas bout with Conor McGregor due to a foot injury.
Featherweight champ McGregor was due to face lightweight top dog Dos Anjos in Vegas on 5 March in a bid to become the first UFC fighter to hold belts at two divisions simultaneously.
However, multiple sources claim Dos Anjos will not be fit for the hugely anticipated UFC 196 showdown.
The UFC website is running a story about McGregor appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine with a line stating: "It’s the first SI cover for the brash Irishman, who was scheduled to fight lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 196."
Elsewhere, Yahoo Sports reports that UFC chief Dana White said: "When we told Conor [about the broken foot], he said, 'Come on! This... guy! Oh my God! He's pulling out?'
"But when we went through the options, he said he'd fight any of them. I swear to God, he said, 'I'll fight anyone.'
"People talk about this strained relationship between us and Conor, and he has a different style than I've ever seen, but I have never seen anyone like Conor.
"The closest was Chuck Liddell, but we've never had one like Conor. You think he's not hurt? But when he says he's going to fight, he's going to fight no matter what."
Last July Dos Anjos' Brazilian compatriot Jose Aldo withdrew from his title fight with the Dubliner at the MGM Grand Garden Arena with a rib injury, being replaced at the last minute by Chad Mendes.
It remains to be seen whether the UFC will find an opponent for McGregor this late in the day, as the 27-year-old now faces the prospect of again fighting for an interim belt.
McGregor had already been looking beyond his face-off with Dos Anjos, saying last week that a Dublin date was next on his agenda.
That ambition will have to be parked for the forseeable future, although 'The Notorious' made no secret of his desire to return to the capital.
“I want east coast [of America] next," he said. "I’ll go back to Boston, I know they’re lobbying for New York. We had a great time when we went to Boston. I’d go back to the 3 Arena no problem. I haven’t outgrown my home town."
“Vegas for the next one, I did commit to that, but then the east coast or Dublin."
