Remember in “The Phantom Menace” when that alien dude was like … blah blah blah The chair does not recognize the senator from the Trade Federation blah blah blah…
This is kind of like that, with top contender Edson Barboza playing the part of alien dude and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight kingpin Conor McGregor assuming the role of senator.
That’s because Barboza, ranked No. 4 at 155 pounds, is like the rest of the weight class in that he’s sick and tired of waiting for “Notorious” to make his return to mixed martial arts (MMA), keeping the title on ice while he does … whatever the hell he wants to do.
“I’m number three in the rankings and I see Tony Ferguson as the actual champion,” Barboza told Combate (via Bloody Elbow). “I always make this very clear. It doesn’t matter whether or not Conor McGregor comes back. I don’t know if he is coming back or not and I don’t care. All I hope for is that whoever wins my fight with Khabib, becomes the next one to fight Ferguson for the belt.”
Ferguson was crowned interim titleholder when he submitted Kevin Lee at UFC 216 earlier this fall. With McGregor failing to answer this demand, “El Cucuy” has been forced to wait for either Barboza or Khabib Nurmagomedov, who collide in the UFC 219 co-main event.
For much more on that upcoming fight click here.