Leon Edwards and Conor McGregor each have something the other wants. Edwards is the reigning UFC welterweight champion and McGregor is mixed martial arts' biggest superstar. Both men weighed in on the potential of a welterweight title clash later this year.
Edwards is gearing up to defend his title against Belal Muhammad at UFC 304 in Manchester on July 27. Edwards took a shot at Muhammad's "Remember the Name" nickname before teeing up the former two-division champ for a rumored Madison Square Garden pay-per-view in November.
"That would be good," Edwards told "The MMA Hour" on Monday about a potential McGregor fight. "Yeah, 100%, why not? I feel like let's give him an opportunity to become a three-division world champion. It gives me an opportunity to take out a guy like Conor McGregor.
"New York, that would be perfect. That's the fight. He's got to take out Michael [Chandler], I take out 'You Don't Remember His Name,' and we'll go from there... Let's go. That's the fight. It should happen."
McGregor is currently preparing to fight Chandler at the main event of UFC 303 on June 29 during International Fight Week. It will be the first time McGregor steps into the Octagon since breaking his tibia in a trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier in July 2021. McGregor expressed excitement about fighting for the BMF or welterweight titles, but had far less enthusiasm about a potential Edwards fight.
"There's too many decisions going on now with that Leon fella," McGregor said in a live stream with Duel Bits on Monday. "Leon Edwards loves a decision. And then he's fighting another f---ing decision guy, your man Belal, so not great times in the welterweight title picture.
"Leon Edwards, Nate Diaz almost knocked him out, had him out on his feet. If that fight is going on, Leon is unconscious. Also, [Donald] Cerrone went the distance with him."
Edwards vs. McGregor has a few things going for it: a welterweight title, an England vs. Ireland showdown and the fact that welterweight isn't ripe with big-name title challengers. But the chances of UFC booking Edwards vs. McGregor are low. McGregor, 35, has not fought since 2021 and has been incredibly inactive in the last decade. There are also far more lucrative fights for McGregor, including a fourth fight with Dustin Poirier and a trilogy bout with Nate Diaz should the promotion re-sign him. McGregor seemed disinterested in cutting to lightweight, but a lightweight title fight against the winner of Islam Makhachev vs. Poirier would be a box office hit.
