Former UFC champ sheds light on Conor McGregor allegedly turning down a fight against him: "Chad Mendes was hunting, he was in the woods"

Former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar recently shared his thoughts on Conor McGregor allegedly turning down a fight against him. According to Edgar, the rumor is seemingly true, although the details surrounding the situation remain unclear.

He explained that when then-UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo got injured before his scheduled bout against 'The Notorious' at UFC 189, the promotion needed a replacement. Mendes, who was reportedly out hunting at the time, was initially contacted to step in.

According to Edgar, the UFC also approached him to step in as a replacement but McGregor declined the fight. Edgar was training and ready for the fight but ultimately, the UFC chose Mendes instead of him as the replacement. Speaking in a recent interview on the Overdogs Podcast, Edgar said:

"I believe it's true [that McGregor declined a fight against Edgar]. I don't know how it really went down. When Aldo got hurt or something they were calling me and Chad Mendes. They picked Chad Mendes. I heard Chad Mendes was hunting, he was in the woods. I was training [but] they picked Chad Mendes."

Check out Frankie Edgar's comments below (44:20):

Edgar also recounted the interaction with McGregor after his win over Mendes, where he approached the Irishman. The American approached McGregor in the aftermath of the fight, and the two exchanged a respectful handshake and a brief conversation.

Check out the video of their interaction at UFC 189 below (3:50):

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Jake Paul challenges Conor McGregor to an MMA fight

Jake Paul has issued a bold challenge to Conor McGregor for an MMA fight after his victory over Mike Tyson. Paul recently defeated Tyson by unanimous decision in a controversial fight in Dallas, Texas.

Following the win, Paul took to social media to challenge McGregor, claiming the UFC star had once agreed to a fight at 170 pounds but now refuses to accept the bout.

"Dear Conor, I know you told my team you would fight me at 170lbs. That’s never happening. But let’s run it in MMA. No weight class. Just like how it used to be done. But you won’t."

Check out Jake Paul's X post below: