John Locher/PAConor McGregor looks set to face Nate Diaz in a welterweight rematch at UFC 200, and he is now being accused of hand picking his fights.
Many fans have called on the UFC to instead schedule a featherweight title match with Frankie Edgar, and Edgar’s manager is now accusing the Irishman of ‘ducking’ the matchup.
Speaking via Instagram Ali Abdel-Aziz said:
When history speaks for itself, Frankie Edgar will go down as the guy who fought anyone at any weight, any time, and anywhere. But when history speaks for Conor McGregor, he was a UFC champion who hand picked his opponents and chose a guys out of shape to fight him and he ducked Frankie.
John Locher/PAAbdel-Aziz added:
Every media member I talked to, a majority of the fans wants to see Edgar vs MCgregor but Conor’s coaches since he lost to Nate Diaz for every interview they talk about everyone else except for Frankie.
At this point I’m blaming the UFC for not making this fight happen because I think it’s really up to them and they can make Conor fight Frankie. I’m done with this. It’s been a miserable last 4 months talking and negotiating getting this fight to happen but now I realize the only person who needs to step up and say he wants to fight Frankie is Conor.
But I don’t believe he wants to because he and everyone else knows that Frankie would whoop his ass. I have zero respect for a champion who ducks contenders and that’s that.
It would appear Abdel-Aziz is not the only one calling on McGregor to return to the featherweight division.
As reported by Fox Sports, boxer and friend of McGregor, Andre Berto, has warned ‘The Notorious’ about an immediate rematch with Diaz.
Speaking to TMZ Berto said:
I talked to him actually like three days ago. He’s doing all right. Of course, a lot of situations that he feels played a part on why he lost. I know him and he’s hungry to get back, and I think he wants to try to get his rematch in.
I think he should probably take another fight or two first. I think he should go back down (in weight).
Conor’s the type of guy, I think he’s a lot more effective when he’s disciplined. When he’s cutting weight, when he’s staying on his diet, things like that, it just does something to the mind of a fighter and I think he’s the type of fighter that responds to it.
Berto did also state that he expects McGregor to come back ‘better’ as he bids to avenge his submission defeat to Diaz.
The Irishman’s camp have been quoted as saying they expect an announcement on the rematch very soon.
