UFC featherweight fighter Frankie Edgar has called out champion Conor McGregor and claimed he will "take his soul" if the two face each other in the Octagon.
In a lengthy Q&A session on Twitter, Edgar engaged fans and stoked the fires as he said the Irishman is avoiding a showdown with him:
When he finally agree to fight me I will take his soul @danawhite https://t.co/P38h0ExV2d
— Frankie Edgar (@FrankieEdgar) December 24, 2015
This dude has been ducking me but he can't duck me for the rest of his life https://t.co/DgeFzXNIFw
— Frankie Edgar (@FrankieEdgar) December 24, 2015
Despite watching McGregor take the featherweight title in a stunning 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo earlier in December, the 34-year-old believes the younger fighter does not have his pedigree of beating top opponents:
I beat bj Swanson, cub, Mendez,shirk, who did he beat outside Aldo https://t.co/lWsBgWPNVE
— Frankie Edgar (@FrankieEdgar) December 24, 2015
Conor is on the run he wants easy fights https://t.co/Vfc3GYtMoa
— Frankie Edgar (@FrankieEdgar) December 24, 2015
The American also claimed UFC president Dana White has promised him a chance of the featherweight title—and by extension, the chance to fight McGregor—and repeatedly stated he is only prepared to fight the 27-year-old as his next opponent regardless of the consequences:
Dana promise me a title shot and this is what I'm gonna get I will not fight anybody else but for the title https://t.co/RL2Jh8jUSo
— Frankie Edgar (@FrankieEdgar) December 24, 2015
I'm only going to fight for the belt next even if I have to sit out https://t.co/xdcfyplxtm
— Frankie Edgar (@FrankieEdgar) December 24, 2015
I'm done getting screwed over my next fight will be Conor Mcgregor there is nobody else I am going to fight https://t.co/o2q4xgosrU
— Frankie Edgar (@FrankieEdgar) December 24, 2015
Bleacher Report columnist Jonathan Snowden believes Edgar is overreacting in his extreme claims:
Frankie Edgar is accusing Conor McGregor of "ducking" him. It has been all of 11 days since McGregor won the title. Calm down sir.
— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) December 24, 2015
Conor sells fights. No one needs Edgar's ham-handed attempts to "sell" anything. That's been a failure for years. https://t.co/sIv6kJ4MHG
— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) December 24, 2015
The day before McGregor's sensational win over Aldo, Edgar claimed an impressive first-round knockout of Chad Mendes—McGregor's last opponent before the Brazilian—to extend his record to 20-4-1.
According to Fox Sports Live, McGregor has expressed interest in taking on Edgar after beating the Brazilian, and that's unlikely to have changed following Edgar's win, so he may well get his wish after all:
McGregor vs Edgar for the belt? In front of 80,000 at Croke Park in Ireland. "That be sweet" - @TheNotoriousMMA https://t.co/oOPpGzmfJu
— FOX Sports Live (@FOXSportsLive) December 13, 2015
After a poor year in 2012 and a defeat to Aldo early in 2013, Edgar has come back strongly from his disappointment and is on a five-fight winning streak with wins over Charles Oliveira, B.J. Penn, Cub Swanson and Urijah Faber prior to his defeat of Mendes.
With that in mind, Edgar has probably earned his own shot at the title, and a clash between the two would likely be welcomed by the fans.
Aldo is also hoping for a rematch, though, and after being denied a genuine contest between them, the fans might equally hope to see them step into the Octagon once again.
Whatever the outcome, it's sure to be an exciting one, but regardless of who McGregor's next opponent is, he'll need to work incredibly hard to beat the imposing Irishman.
