Leon has been offered his show and his win - Chael Sonnen on rumors of Leon Edwards stepping aside for Conor McGregor to face Kamaru Usman
Chael Sonnen recently said he's been told that Leon Edwards has been asked to step aside from his fight against Kamaru Usman so that Conor McGregor can step in. 'The Bad Guy' also noted that rumors suggest Edwards has been offered his show and win money to make room for the Irishman.
'Rocky' is expected to take on 'The Nigerian Nightmare' in a rematch for the title this summer. However, during a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sonnen claimed he's heard rumors that suggest otherwise.
"I have been told that Leon is offered his show and his win, whatever was negotiated for Leon fight Kamaru is being offered to, 'We'll mail you a cheque to step aside. We have the right to push you aside, we don't have any hard feelings, and we acknowledge that you deserve this. So, we will send you what ypu agreed on, you get to stay home.' With the belief being that Conor's gonna step in."
Watch Chael Sonnen's full video below:
Sonnen further stated that he doesn't think the rumors are true. UFC president Dana White also recently indicated that Edwards will be the next title challenger in the welterweight division.
In a recent interview, McGregor revealed that he is targeting a matchup against welterweight kingpin Kamaru Usman upon his return to the UFC. The Irishman doesn't see Usman as a legitimate threat. He doesn't believe the 34-year-old is a submission threat and has also downplayed the Nigerian's ground-and-pound skills.
Will Conor McGregor make a return to the welterweight division?
McGregor has almost recovered from the leg break he suffered in his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. The Irishman is expected to make a return later this year. With talk of a comeback increasing, fans have been speculating about which weight class 'The Notorious' megastar will return in
McGregor seems to have added a lot of muscle mass to his body during his absence from the cage. Whether the former two-division UFC champion returns at welterweight remains to be seen.
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Conor McGregor has fought three times at 170 pounds in the UFC and currently possesses a record of 2-1 in the division. It will be interesting to see what's next for the former two-division champion as he looks to rebound from back-to-back losses in 2021.