Conor McGregor is set to make his return to the octagon after a three-year hiatus, facing Michael Chandler in the main event of UFC 303. This bout will take place at welterweight, potentially positioning McGregor for a future title shot against the winner of the upcoming fight between Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad, which will headline UFC 304 in July.
In a recent interview on Duelbits, McGregor criticized the welterweight title fight, commenting on the tendency of both Edwards and Muhammad to win by decision. McGregor stated,
“There’s too many decisions going on now with that Leon fella. Leon Edwards loves a decision and then he’s fighting another f**king decision guy, your man Belal. So, not great times in the welterweight title picture. 200 [pay-per-view] buys probably, not even. 150,000 buys if it’s even a pay-per-view. It’s probably not even a pay-per-view.”
Edwards and Muhammad previously fought in the main event of UFC Fight Night 187, which ended in a no-contest due to an accidental eye poke. Muhammad has been seeking a title shot for some time, and although Edwards was given three potential opponents for UFC 300, Muhammad was not among them.
Since joining the UFC in 2014, Edwards has secured finishes in only four of his 17 bouts, while Muhammad has managed just three finishes in 18 bouts since his 2016 debut.
Regarding a potential fight with McGregor, Edwards recently told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour that he is open to the idea if McGregor wins against Chandler.
Edwards said, “100%, why not? Let’s give him an opportunity to become a three-division world champion. Give me an opportunity to take out a guy like Conor McGregor. New York. That would be perfect… He’s got to take out Michael. I’ll take out ‘No One Remembers His Name’ and we’ll go from there. We’ll go New York, [Madison Square Garden]… That’s the fight I feel.”
The UFC is expected to return to Madison Square Garden at UFC 309, with Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic rumored to headline. Whether McGregor would receive a title shot if he wins remains uncertain, but his significant star power makes it a plausible scenario.
