Edgar and Mendes disagree on waiting for featherweight title shot

Frankie Edgar and Chad Mendes

Frankie Edgar and Chad Mendes agree the winner of their headliner at The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale should get the next title shot. Where they differ is on what they should do if that isn’t the case.

Edgar (19-4-1 MMA, 13-4-1 UFC) , 34, isn’t willing to wait for the opportunity.

“I’m not getting any younger; I don’t plan on waiting,” he said today during a teleconference in support of the Dec. 11 event at Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. “I don’t think I’ll be fighting any lesser competition.

“I don’t think there is any lesser competition; I think all the guys are hammers right now. Any fight is going to be a tough fight at this point in my career.”

Mendes (17-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC), 30, who’s had three brushes with the belt to no avail, still feels as though there’s time. While he admits he’s in a punishing sport that shortens careers, he believes he can wait out the drama between Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor, who one day after their headliner fight to unify the UFC featherweight title.

“It doesn’t make any sense if you win a fight and you have the opportunity to fight for a title to do anything else,” Mendes said. “I’m here to fight the best guys in the division, and I want to be the champion. I would definitely wait.”

Both Edgar and Mendes have fought and lost to undisputed featherweight champ Aldo. Mendes has also fallen short against McGregor, losing a short-notice bout for the interim belt in July at UFC 189 when the Brazilian injured his rib and was forced to withdraw from the event.

Despite that, Mendes doesn’t feel he’s in a worse position to face the winner of UFC 194’s headliner. A win over a fighter the caliber of Edgar, he said, proves he is still viable as a title challenger.

“This is a fight, in my opinion, that’s going to cement the true No. 1 contender,” Mendes told MMAjunkie. “I felt like that when I got in there and fought against Lamas, and that was a fight that pushed me right back in line.

“I feel like the winner of this fight should be right back in line for it whether it’s me or Frankie. Obviously, I’ve fought Aldo twice and Conor for the fake belt. But you beat a guy like Frankie, who’s been on a tear, you have no choice but to give the guy that wins that fight a title shot, in my opinion.”

While Edgar claims to focus solely on the outcome of his bout with Mendes, he is less optimistic about what it will mean for his prospects as a contender.

“I don’t think you can guarantee anything,” Edgar said. “Speaking to (UFC President) Dana (White), he pretty much said he doesn’t know what’s going to happen with Aldo and McGregor.

“Barring a barnburner between those guys, I think the winner of our fight should get the next title shot, especially with me coming off five straight wins over top-notch guys. But nothing’s guaranteed, and I’m not banking on anything.”

Whatever happens when Aldo and McGregor meet, there’s one scenario that’s already been outlined by White. Speaking to fans earlier this month at a Q & A in support of this month’s UFC 193, the executive said if McGregor beats Aldo, he will headline an event at the 80,000-seat Croke Park in Dublin.

It’s unclear who would be McGregor’s opponent, but if the first fight between the featherweight rivals proves memorable, it’s not unfathomable that the promotion will pair them again.

That leaves Edgar and Mendes in an interesting place as top-tier fighters with an uncertain ceiling. But Edgar thinks there’s time to worry about that later.

“I just have to make sure I take care of business on Dec. 11 and make sure I get in the best position to get that title shot,” he said.

For more on The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.