Frankie Edgar is targeting a return to the Octagon at UFC 230 in Madison Square Garden.

This past weekend, Edgar was approached about filling in as a late replacement for Max Holloway who was withdrawn from the UFC 226 fight card following a suspected concussion. Edgar was apparently keen to accept the bout, but according to UFC President Dana White, his family requested he not take the fight and instead focus on recovering from some small injuries.

Ortega was then subsequently offered a fight with Jeremy Stephens, but he also turned that bout down citing the fact that he would rather wait out his title shot against Holloway. Speaking yesterday, Edgar explained why that might not have been the wisest decision.

“Everybody has their own reasons you know,” Edgar told TMZ Sports. “I took that fight because I wanted to fight and I wanted to get in there. He’s a young kid and maybe he thinks it was too risky and that he didn’t want to risk his chance, but sometimes when you have the chance to fight for a title or an interim title, you gotta jump on it, because who knows, now that Brian pissed off UFC and company, maybe they might not give him that shot. I still think he deserves it and that he’s worked towards it, but sometimes you gotta risk it.”

Whilst the future of champion Holloway might still be up in the air, Edgar isn’t going to rest on his laurels.

The New Jersey native says he wants to get back in the Octagon before the end of the year and that he’s not fussed about who it is he fights.