If Conor McGregor is to be believed, we almost had a very different line up for UFC 222.
Speaking via his Instagram page this evening, the current UFC lightweight champion made it clear that he intends to fight again. Not only that, but he offered to step in for the injured Max Holloway and face Frankie Edgar in the main event at UFC 222.
“I am fighting again. Period.
I am the best at this.
I put my name forward to step in at UFC 222 to face Frankie Edgar when Max Holloway pulled out, but I was told there wasn’t enough time to generate the money that the UFC would need.
I was excited about bouncing in last minute and taking out the final featherweight, without all the rest of the stuff that comes with this game.
Please respect the insane amount of work outside the fight game that I have put in.
On top of the fighting.
I am here.
It is on them to come and get me. Because I am here.
Yours sincerely,
The Champ Champ™”
This will come as welcome news to most UFC fans. Many had feared that McGregor had lost his appetite for MMA following his big money boxing adventure against Floyd Mayweather in 2017. While it will doubtless be called out as nothing but talk by many, it does offer some encouragement that we may get to see the charismatic Irishman back in the octagon sooner rather than later.
One of the people quick to call McGregor a liar is Edgar’s manager Ali Abdelaziz. Speaking to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Abdelaziz did not mince his words.
On McGregor's claim he offered to fight Frankie Edgar at UFC 222, Edgar's manager @AliAbdelaziz00 tells me, "He's full a s—. He's a liar. He should have fought Frankie two years ago."
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) February 22, 2018
Who exactly we see McGregor face when he does eventually return is still up for debate. Any talk of a rematch with Mayweather under MMA rules, for now at least, appears to be fantasy. The popular choice would be for the 29-year old to face the winner of Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Tony Ferguson. The idea of McGregor fighting for the lightweight title as the challenger once again is an interesting one.
There are also potential rematches against Nate Diaz or featherweight champion Max Holloway for the ‘notorious’ one to consider.
It is no secret that McGregor’s lack of MMA activity since winning the lightweight title in November 2016 has angered a number of fans.
The reality is that the UFC needs him. It is a fact that McGregor has headlined four of the top five biggest selling PPV events in UFC history. No matter who he faces, he will draw a big audience. The UFC is in desperate need of a big draw to improve its PPV performance.
With Ronda Rousey reinventing herself as a professional wrestler and Jon Jones suspended, who else is capable of turning things around?
Love him or hate him, Conor McGregor will be back. It’s only a matter of time.
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