The former lightweight champion believes he’s got the Answer for how to beat Conor McGregor.
Speaking on the MMA Hour, Frankie Edgar confirmed he only has eyes for the featherweight title at the moment but he is pessimistic about his chances of getting a shot at McGregor’s strap.
“First and foremost, I want to fight McGregor for the 145 lb title. Am I going to get it? I fucking doubt it.”
McGregor has publicly stated that he wants to move up to lightweight to try to dethrone Rafael dos Anjos, which would mean Edgar would be left out in the cold again. Edgar admitted he is unsure what his next move will be if McGregor moves up, but he feels the newly crowned featherweight champion should have to defend his belt first.
“I don’t know. I’ve got to be honest, I know nothing. Are they going to let him keep the belt? I don’t know. I remember when I was told to go down to 145 when I was the 155 champion I was told I had to let go of the belt to do that. But, here we are, I’m not fighting for the title.”
“I think Conor needs to stay at 145. He hasn’t defended the belt yet. He needs to stay at 145, that’s what I think.”
Should the Notorious move up a weight class, Edgar confessed there is little he could do, and quite frankly, he is sick of waiting for a title shot.
“What am I going to do? Scream and shout? What can I do? Dana and Lorenzo know what I want. What am I going to do? Bother them? For what? For them to say no or promise me something and then say no the next? Come on.”
“Some people are saying I should wait, but am I going to wait for them to take it away from me again? I don’t think I can do that. I’ve got a family to feed. This window’s closing.”
When asked if he has worked out a gameplan to derail the McGregor hype train, Edgar explained he has a vision for how he’d beat the Dubliner. He even went as far to say that he’s the worst possible match-up for the Notorious.
“Yeah, I do (have the blueprint in my head to beat McGregor). You’ve seen shades of it with Chad, and I’m a different fighter than Chad (Mendes), but I can do some of the things he can. It’s not going to be an easy fight. All fights are hard, but I’m the worst match-up for McGregor.”
“I think he knows it, I think you know it, I think the UFC knows it and I just need that chance to get my hands on him.”
“The only way I get to fight Conor is if Conor says. ‘I want to fight Frankie Edgar, that’s it, and I don’t think he’s going to say that. I just think he thinks I’m the most risky fight out there. Why would he risk that?”
Edgar also had some pretty complimentary things to say about McGregor, although he also called him “kind of a dick” in the same breath.
“I’ve always been talking up Conor. I think the way he talks a lot of people don’t want to give him credit because he’s kind of a dick at times to certain people in the UFC who are in my weight class, but I call a spade a spade man. He definitely shows up, he puts on a good show and he performs.”
Will Edgar ever get another title shot? Only time will tell.
