UFC 286 headliners relish bout against Conor McGregor

UFC 286 headliners Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman face each other for the welterweight title Saturday in London, but each has his eyes on fighting against the MMA's biggest star, Conor McGregor.

"As the king, I welcome all challenges, so whoever comes can get it," Edwards (20-3) said at a news conference Thursday.

"I've always said I'd welcome it, so if it happens, it happens," said Usman (20-2).

A potential matchup between McGregor and the winner of Edwards-Usman would be one of the biggest fights in mixed martial arts history. 

The Irish superstar is a former featherweight and lightweight world champion. He holds a 2-1 record as a UFC welterweight.

McGregor, a 34-year-old, two-division world champion, wants to add another belt to his trophy case. On “The MMA Hour” on Wednesday, he expressed interest in competing for the 170-pound belt. 

Usman, one of the best welterweight of all time, had said previously that he was open to fighting the former champion.

Before losing the title to Edwards in August, “The Nigerian Nightmare” defended the welterweight title five times during his 19-fight unbeaten streak. He finished off the division's best, including Colby Covington, Jorge Masvidal and Gilbert Burns. 

Edwards, who fights out of Birmingham, England, shook up the MMA world in his second fight against Usman. With 58 seconds left, he landed a head kick to win UFC gold for the first time. He hasn’t lost since December 2015. 

Edwards and Usman are worthy contenders for McGregor in a super-fight. 

A UFC pay-per-view is always electric during a McGregor fight week. He’s headlined eight of the top 10 biggest pay-per-views in company history, according to BetMGM. 

McGregor, however, must break a two-fight losing streak to earn a title shot. He’s expected to face Michael Chandler later this year. 

If he captures the 170-pound title, McGregor would become the first three-division champion in UFC history.