Leon Edwards has said that the returning Conor McGregor, while not the Briton’s “mate”, is “good for the sport” ahead of UFC 297, which will be shown live on TNT Sports and discovery+. Edwards, the reigning UFC welterweight champion, said that although he was not an “admirer” of McGregor, he appreciated the presence that ‘The Notorious’ has in bringing more fans to the Mixed Martial Arts world.

Leon Edwards has said that the returning Conor McGregor, while not the Briton’s “mate”, is “good for the sport” ahead of UFC 297, which will be shown live on TNT Sports and discovery+.The plan for McGregor’s return to the Octagon after a two-year hiatus is for ‘The Notorious’ to fight Michael Chandler, with UFC 300 on April 13 being a potential date for the Irishman to make a comeback.McGregor has also hinted at a follow-up fight on July 29 after his initial return to action.

The Irishman, despite his lengthy break from the UFC after breaking his leg in a trilogy defeat to Dustin Poirier, remains one of the biggest names in the MMA scene, and has drawn much attention and speculation to his rumoured return with his strong presence on social media and in public interviews.McGregor, who is 22-6 in the UFC, has said that he is ready to make “the greatest comeback of all time”, when he made an announcement on New Year’s Eve on social media that he planned to take on Chandler.

Now Edwards, the current UFC welterweight champion, has had his say on McGregor’s rumoured return, and

The Birmingham native admitted that while McGregor’s media presence was a positive for MMA, the Brit himself was not a fan of the Irishman’s conduct.“For me, I think he’s great for the sport,” Edwards said.

Leon Edwards of Jamaica has his hands wrapped prior to his fight during the UFC 296 event at T-Mobile Arena on December 16, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“I think he’s definitely brought the sport forward for the casual fans. He’s one of these guys that you either like him or don’t like him, he is who he is, but as far as what he’s achieved in sport, you can’t take away from him.“He did become the first-ever [simultaneous] two-division world champion, but he can talk all the s***, he is actually a good fighter as well behind it.“For the sport, he definitely helped the sport. He didn’t take nothing away from it, he definitively gave more as far as pushing it for the mainstream.”

pic.twitter.com/Jje2yYoQoE

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 31, 2023

McGregor’s last win in the octagon came at UFC 246 against Donald Cerrone in January 2020, while Edwards retained his welterweight belt with a unanimous decision win over Colby Covington at UFC 296 in December 2023.“I’m not an admirer of his,” Edwards admitted.“I’m judging from the competitive part of it, the self-promoting part of it. I’m sure there’s other people in boxing or in football doing weird s***, but for me, I couldn’t give two s**** about his personal life.“It’s more just about what he’s achieved in the game. The self-promotion part of it, to each their own, that’s what he’s going to do. He’s not my mate, so it is what it is.”- – -TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.