(Reuters) - Conor McGregor has vowed to get back in the octagon for his next fight, saying that he offered to take on Frankie Edgar at next weekend's UFC 222 but was denied.
McGregor last fought in the UFC in November 2016, when he defeated Eddie Alvarez to win the lightweight belt but the 29-year-old never defended the title as he entered the boxing ring instead, to take on Floyd Mayweather last August.
The Irishman is set to lose the lightweight belt as UFC President Dana White said last month that Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson will fight for the undisputed title at UFC 223 on April 7.
"I am fighting again. Period. I am the best at this," McGregor wrote on his official Instagram page. "I put my name forward to step in at UFC 222... but I was told there wasn't enough time to generate the money that the UFC would need.
"I was excited about bouncing in last minute and taking out the final featherweight, without all the rest of the stuff that comes with this game. Please respect the insane amount of work outside the fight game that I have put in.
"On top of the fighting. I am here. It is on them to come and get me. Because I am here..."
McGregor is yet to fight following his TKO loss to Mayweather, the second biggest pay-per-view fight in history, but has previously said that he does not want to compete in the WWE.
Edgar was expected to take on American Max Holloway for the featherweight title at UFC 222 but the 26-year-old withdrew due to injury and has been replaced by Brian Ortega.
(Reporting by Aditi Prakash in Bengaluru; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)
