Conor McGregor moving up to lightweight after fighting Jose Aldo in December is not necessarily a lock.
UFC president Dana White told Karyn Bryant on FOX Sports Live on Wednesday night that McGregor is interested in a fight with Frankie Edgar at featherweight before the inevitable change in division. That is provided it makes sense and McGregor beats Aldo to unify the featherweight titles at UFC 194 on Dec. 12 in Las Vegas.
"If he beats Jose Aldo, he told me he would also like to fight Frankie," White said. "We'll see how this thing plays out."
Edgar will, of course, have to beat Chad Mendes in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale in order to make that fight a reality. Edgar, the former UFC lightweight champion, is a slight favorite over Mendes. A fight between him and McGregor would be highly anticipated. McGregor defeated Mendes by second-round TKO at UFC 189 in July.
At the "Go Big" press conference earlier this month in Las Vegas, Edgar professed his desire to fight McGregor, because "The Notorious" is clearly the fighter that makes his opponents the most money right now in the UFC. Edgar was honest about that and McGregor praised him for it.
"There is no doubt that Conor McGregor is that guy right now," White said. "So, I don't blame all the guys for chasing him around and wanting to fight him."
One guy who probably will not fight McGregor down the road is Urijah Faber, who is coaching opposite the Irishman on TUF 22. A good amount of heat has built up between the two men during this season of the show and fans have expressed a desire to see the fight. But White doesn't think it's in the cards, because Faber's best weight class right now is bantamweight.
"I doubt it," he said. "I just don't see their career paths crossing that way. Anything is possible. Conor has a hard time making that 145-pound weight class. I can see him going up before going down."