It’s hard not to feel for Frankie Edgar.
What more does ‘The Answer’ have to do to get a title shot?
Edgar has gone 5-0 since losing his first crack at 145 lb gold and finished perennial contender Chad Mendes in devastating fashion last month, which prompted UFC president Dana White to suggest that Edgar was next in line for the winner of Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo which took place 24 hours later.
McGregor won and immediately indicated a desire to move up to lightweight for a title shot, a wish which seems to have been granted as rumours abound of a championship fight between McGregor and 155 lb top dog Rafael dos Anjos that’s to take place on March 5.
And Edgar is left nonplussed by that decision as he doesn’t understand why McGregor is allowed to avoid defending his featherweight belt for such a long period of time.
“They wouldn’t allow me to do that,” Edgar told the LATimes on Friday.
As upset as he is, Edgar somewhat concedes that McGregor is in a position where he can do what he wants.
“When you have that power he has — he brings in money for them — you can dictate a little more than others,” Edgar said. “Money talks. And when you bring in the money, I guess you can have more of a say.”
There aren’t many options on the table for 34-year-old Edgar as he can either fight between now and July’s UFC 200, which many believe will be headlined by a featherweight title bout between Edgar and McGregor, or hold out for seven months which means he won’t receive a paycheck until the summer.
“I honestly don’t really know what I’m going to do yet,” Edgar admitted. “I’ve got to weigh some things out. Do I want to wait for Conor — could something happen? Someone get injured? Do I want to wait for that fight or fight and make some money? That’s what I’m weighing right now.”
And the former UFC lightweight champion has acknowledged that accepting a fight before McGregor would be a significant gamble as a defeat would derail his momentum.
“I don’t know if they’re trying to get me out of the picture or what, but I’m hanging in there,” Edgar continued. “Before I even think about who I want to fight, I have to think about what I want to do — if I’m even going to take a fight or not. I’m on the fence.”
