As the old saying goes, “Dems fighting words!”
On Thursday evening, Conor McGregor took to Instagram to announce that he had attempted to get his next fight organised, but was rebuffed by the UFC.
Here is his Insta-statement in full:
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™
In the hours that followed, both Edgar and his manager Ali Abdelaziz responded to McGregor’s claims:
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
This is the truth. My focus is on Ortega and they all can get it after. Anytime, anywhere, any weight class 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 https://t.co/zUDeEa79Bk
— Frankie Edgar (@FrankieEdgar) February 22, 2018
Edgar confirmed that his manager’s statements to TMZ Sports were accurate, which also included Abdelaziz claiming Edgar would “beat the shit out of him and the entire nation of Ireland.”
Abdelaziz states that McGregor has had plenty of time to sort out a bout with Edgar in the lead-up to UFC 222, and the real reason he has taken this long to get into the ring is fear.
