Frankie Edgar Talks Weight Cut For 135, Potential Conor McGregor Fight
Frankie Edgar’s next fight is more than likely to be at bantamweight — that is, unless the Conor McGregor fight happens.
Following his featherweight title defeat to Max Holloway, Edgar announced that he would be moving down to the bantamweight division. However, McGregor would later claim Edgar was an opponent he was interested in facing for his UFC comeback.
Edgar has made no secret of his desire to face the Irishman and was ready to fight him in any weight class from featherweight to even welterweight. However, nothing has come to fruition since. “The Answer” was then reportedly preparing for a bantamweight bout with Aljamain Sterling for November.
Sterling would later get surgery so Edgar gained a few pounds back. When he does eventually make the full cut, it’s not going to be fun, however:
“I thought I was going to fight in November, so I started getting down a little bit,” Edgar said at a media day for Dominance MMA (via MMA Junkie). “It was coming off pretty easily and then I found out I wasn’t, so I put some back on. I walk around at 160 (pounds). I’m pretty sure that’s what most of the 135-pounders walk around at. I feel like I’m on pace naturally.
“It’s not going to be as fun. I cut weight in college and in high school. I actually haven’t been down to 135 since my senior year. It’s not going to be fun, but we’ll do it. When I was in high school, I didn’t know what the hell I was doing and I made weight. In college, probably the same. Now I’ve got a nutritionist. I’ll do it the right way, and we’ll do it the right way.”
McGregor’s Callout Was Surprising
As for McGregor’s callout, Edgar found it surprising in more ways that one. He particularly noted how the former two-weight champion always seems to call him out when he’s injured or has a fight booked:
“That was kind of surprising,” Edgar explained. “The week I say I’m going to 135, he says he’ll fight. Every time he says he wants to fight me, I’m either injured or I have a fight booked. He knows I’m game. I told Dana (White) I’m game.
“Ultimately, I think it’s up to Conor. He’s the one who kind of controls it. Even if the UFC doesn’t want it, I think if he puts his foot down we’ll get there.”
If the fight never happens, however, that’s fine with Edgar. The New Jersey native’s main goal is to win a UFC title again and when it comes to bantamweight, he wants his first opponent to be someone who can elevate him to a quick title shot.
“I want someone who’s going to get me to the title,” Edgar added. “That’s what I’ve been doing my whole life since I’ve been in the UFC. It’s going be a ranked guy. It’s going to be a guy that can get me in contention and get me a chance at (bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo).”
Do you think Edgar will face McGregor? If not, who should he face at bantamweight first?
