Conor McGregor: Frankie Edgar, Chad Mendes ‘should be 135ers,’ Ricardo Lamas is ‘rubbish’

LAS VEGAS — Conor McGregor almost paid a compliment to one of his fellow UFC featherweight contenders. Almost. Then, he quickly went in another direction.

McGregor was asked during the Fight Club fan Q&A on Friday before UFC 183 weigh-ins who the best mixed martial artist was among the top fighters in the division outside of himself and champion Jose Aldo. McGregor said it was likely Frankie Edgar. But that’s as far as he went. The Irishman said Edgar should really move down to bantamweight.

“Coming up against me would not be a good night for him,” McGregor said.

He feels the same way about Chad Mendes, the man who just lost to Aldo in a tough unanimous decision at UFC 179 in October.

“Chad is a wrestler with an overhand right,” McGregor said. “[He] also should be a 135er.”

And how about Ricardo Lamas, another top contender at 145?

“Lamas is rubbish, really,” McGregor said. “He should be cut.”

The crowd laughed when McGregor uttered those words, but he probably believes them. “The Notorious” will get his title shot against Aldo at UFC 189 on July 11 in Las Vegas, it was announced Friday. McGregor said after he beats Aldo, he’ll finally answer “the wrestling question.” He has yet to face a top wrestler in his meteoric ascent to No. 1 contender status.

“When that belt gets clicked around my waist, there’s a question the fans want answered,” McGregor said. “The wrestling question. How can he deal with the wrestling? So Chad is in that bracket. Chad, Frankie, Ricardo to a lower scale. I will get around to each and every one of them. I said one by one I will take them all out. Now we have Jose next, but there are still many behind him.”

McGregor said that he would dwarf fighters like Edgar and Mendes, adding that he’s a similar size to lightweight champion Anthony Pettis and that 155 is likely in his future. Maybe even higher.

“I have no problem going right up to welterweight to be honest,” McGregor said. “We’ll see. I am young. I am 26 years old. We’ll see what opportunities present themselves.”

Right now, though, he is planning to conquer the featherweight division. Next up is Aldo, but McGregor understands there is a host of other potential opponents for him coming up, too. Mendes is still regarded as the second best featherweight in the world and Edgar is a former UFC lightweight champion.

“I am a different animal than Frankie and Chad,” McGregor said. “I believe personally that both of those competitors should be 135ers. I feel Aldo has made a career out of beating short wrestlers who are not the best on the feet. Now it is a different ballgame altogether. Now you’re coming in against a guy with long reach, range.”

LAS VEGAS — Conor McGregor almost paid a compliment to one of his fellow UFC featherweight contenders. Almost. Then, he quickly went in another direction.

McGregor was asked during the Fight Club fan Q&A on Friday before UFC 183 weigh-ins who the best mixed martial artist was among the top fighters in the division outside of himself and champion Jose Aldo. McGregor said it was likely Frankie Edgar. But that’s as far as he went. The Irishman said Edgar should really move down to bantamweight.

“Coming up against me would not be a good night for him,” McGregor said.

He feels the same way about Chad Mendes, the man who just lost to Aldo in a tough unanimous decision at UFC 179 in October.

“Chad is a wrestler with an overhand right,” McGregor said. “[He] also should be a 135er.”

And how about Ricardo Lamas, another top contender at 145?

“Lamas is rubbish, really,” McGregor said. “He should be cut.”

The crowd laughed when McGregor uttered those words, but he probably believes them. “The Notorious” will get his title shot against Aldo at UFC 189 on July 11 in Las Vegas, it was announced Friday. McGregor said after he beats Aldo, he’ll finally answer “the wrestling question.” He has yet to face a top wrestler in his meteoric ascent to No. 1 contender status.

“When that belt gets clicked around my waist, there’s a question the fans want answered,” McGregor said. “The wrestling question. How can he deal with the wrestling? So Chad is in that bracket. Chad, Frankie, Ricardo to a lower scale. I will get around to each and every one of them. I said one by one I will take them all out. Now we have Jose next, but there are still many behind him.”

McGregor said that he would dwarf fighters like Edgar and Mendes, adding that he’s a similar size to lightweight champion Anthony Pettis and that 155 is likely in his future. Maybe even higher.

“I have no problem going right up to welterweight to be honest,” McGregor said. “We’ll see. I am young. I am 26 years old. We’ll see what opportunities present themselves.”

Right now, though, he is planning to conquer the featherweight division. Next up is Aldo, but McGregor understands there is a host of other potential opponents for him coming up, too. Mendes is still regarded as the second best featherweight in the world and Edgar is a former UFC lightweight champion.

“I am a different animal than Frankie and Chad,” McGregor said. “I believe personally that both of those competitors should be 135ers. I feel Aldo has made a career out of beating short wrestlers who are not the best on the feet. Now it is a different ballgame altogether. Now you’re coming in against a guy with long reach, range.”