If Conor McGregor‘s first fight after UFC 196 does not happen at 145 pounds, he should vacate his featherweight title.
So says Frankie Edgar, the former lightweight champ and current featherweight contender who believes that McGregor‘s move to higher weight classes could create inaction at the top of the featherweight division.
Edgar has long sought a fight with McGregor, but a torn groin prevented him from replacing injured lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos on short notice at UFC 196. Instead, the slot went to Nate Diaz, and the bout will now happen at welterweight.
With McGregor putting on so much mass, Edgar told broadcaster Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour (h/t Shaun Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting) that McGregor‘s days at 145 pounds may be—and should be—over:
You can’t just hold this weight class up hostage like that for that long. The rumors are he probably can’t make 145 again. I mean, the guy cut a boatload to be the biggest guy in there [at featherweight]. And now, if you can’t make the weight, it’s not his problem. He’s too big. Just let it go, and maybe we’ll meet at 155 down the road. Who knows?
Edgar’s desire for McGregor to either defend his featherweight belt or step aside is understandable. After all, he’s currently No. 2 in the UFC’s official featherweight rankings, meaning he is very close to a title shot.
He last fought in December, when he scored an emphatic first-round knockout of Chad Mendes. It was Edgar’s fifth consecutive win. His only defeat since moving down to featherweight came in a title bout with then-champ Jose Aldo.
Title or no title, McGregor appears to be an Edgar bugaboo. On Monday, Edgar discussed the injury that forced him to decline the bout at UFC 196, as well as his anger over the situation. Originally, UFC President Dana White said Edgar had simply turned the fight down without mentioning injury.
Funny he wants to fight on 10 days notice while I’m nursing an injury but never before, not surprised.
— Frankie Edgar (@FrankieEdgar) February 24, 2016
“I definitely was the most pissed off (I’ve ever been), at least in an interview,” Edgar told Helwani. “I mean, look, this is the way this sport is going. You’ve got to talk, you’ve got to speak up for what you want, and you’ve got to get people interested in the cause you’re fighting for. And that’s what I’m trying to do, man.”
It remains unclear who Edgar might face next or when.
Given his animosity toward McGregor, it’s not inconceivable that he could move back up to lightweight for a date with the Irishman. Edgar won the lightweight title in 2010 and defended it three times before losing it to Benson Henderson in 2012.
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