It sounds like Max Holloway’s first title defense as an undisputed champion will come against a former champ.

UFC President Dana White told KHON-2 in Holloway’s (18-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) home state of Hawaii that “Blessed” is likely to take on former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar (22-5-1 MMA, 16-5-1 UFC) sometime later this year for his first challenge as featherweight champion. But the UFC boss did not elaborate on when or where the fight might take place.

“We’re looking at Frankie Edgar, but we don’t know where,” White said. “Absolutely (before the end of the year).”

Holloway won the UFC’s interim featherweight title this past December with a dominant win over former lightweight champ Anthony Pettis at UFC 206. At UFC 212 in June, he unified the title with a third-round knockout of Jose Aldo (27-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) in Brazil.

After that, Holloway said he wanted a pay raise. With his wins over Pettis and Aldo, one certainly would be warranted if he took out another former champ in Edgar.

Edgar lost the lightweight title to Benson Henderson five and a half years ago. He couldn’t regain it in a rematch, then dropped to featherweight and went after Aldo. He lost that title fight, as well, for a three-bout skid.

After five straight wins over Charles Oliveira, B.J. Penn, Cub Swanson, Urijah Faber and Chad Mendes, Edgar got another shot at Aldo at UFC 200 a year ago, but again lost. He has rebounded with wins over Jeremy Stephens and Yair Rodriguez, though, to put himself right back in the mix.

Although not yet announced, the UFC is planning a November return to Madison Square Garden in New York City, not far from Edgar’s New Jersey stomping grounds. And that could make an ideal setting for what would be his third shot at a 145-pound title. Over the course of a UFC career that has stretched more than 10 years, Edgar has had eight title fights and is 3-4-1 in those bouts.

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.