When Edson Barboza demanded Conor McGregor be stripped of his title and questioned his commitment to UFC - "Take the belt"

Irish superstar Conor McGregor is no doubt the biggest name in MMA today. But that does not mean everyone in the MMA community holds a positive view of 'The Notorious'.

One such example took place when UFC fighter Edson Barboza criticized him and asked the UFC to remove him as a champion.

In July 2017, Barboza made an appearance on the Fight Society podcast and spoke about McGregor's status as a champion. The Brazilian was unhappy with 'Mystic Mac' not defending the lightweight title and went on to question his commitment to the promotion and to the 155-pound division.

Additionally, the 38-year-old demanded for the UFC to strip him of the title:

"Conor stay out for a long long time. I think he don't worry about UFC, don't worry about the division. He don't respect us and the UFC [still] doesn't get his belt... Take the belt [away from] Conor. I really don't understand."

Check out Edson Barboza's comments on Conor McGregor from the 6:08 mark below:

McGregor won the lightweight championship at UFC 205, the promotion's inaugural event at the prestigious Madison Square Garden in New York in November 2016.

The Irishman defeated Eddie Alvarez via second-round knockout to capture the title and, in doing so, became the first fighter in UFC history to simultaneously hold two championships.

McGregor never defended the belt after the victory and was later stripped of the championship due to lack of activity inside the octagon.

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What's next for Conor McGregor and Edson Barboza?

Both Conor McGregor and Edson Barboza are scheduled to return to action soon. The Irishman will come off a three-year layoff to fight Michael Chandler at UFC 303.

The event will be held on June 29 during International Fight Week, with the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, serving as the venue. The fight will mark McGregor's first octagon appearance since his gruesome leg injury at UFC 264.

Edson Barboza, on the other hand, is all set to compete on the upcoming UFC card on May 18. The Brazilian will go toe-to-toe against Lerone Murphy in a featherweight clash at UFC Vegas 92.

The bout will headline the event, which will take place at the UFC APEX Facility in Enterprise, Nevada.