After Rafael dos Anjos withdrew from UFC 196 with a broken foot, the UFC reportedly went to Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar first to offer them a fill-in slot against Conor McGregor.
Unfortunately, Jose Aldo turned the bout down because he wasn’t in shape, and Frankie Edgar turned the bout down because he was injured.
After it was announced that Nate Diaz would be filling the spot opposite McGregor, Frankie Edgar went off on Dana White, saying that the ‘C’ in UFC stands for Conor.
Now that the dust has settled and the pair are on good terms again, Edgar explains his frustration, as well as what it would have taken for him to fight Conor McGregor at UFC 196.
He spoke on The MMA Hour:
“That’s kind of what pisses me off, is that I’m sitting here recovering from an injury and people are looking down at me because I didn’t take a fight on 10 days notice at a weight class I don’t even fight in, not even for a title. That’s what got under my skin.”
With that being said, what would it have taken for Edgar to step in at UFC 196?
“I was even enticed to take it now, but luckily I didn’t. I am in no shape to be fighting, or even train, to be honest. If I was healthy and even half-ass training, then for sure I would have taken the fight.”
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