Ryan Hall challenges Jose Aldo, Frankie Edgar: 'Pick the time and place, boys'

Grappling ace Ryan Hall isn’t exactly the calling out type, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Sitting on the sidelines since a July decision win over Darren Elkins, “The Wizard” is breaking out of his comfort zone and calling out – respectfully, mind you – a few MMA legends for a potential fight.

Hall (8-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) took to Instagram Tuesday to ask former UFC champs Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar if they’d be willing to accept his challenge.

Never thought I’d have to go this route, but then again, I also never imagined a laundry list of ranked professional tough guys turning down a fight with a skinny, blinky kid from the suburbs… Frankie Edgar and Jose Aldo are two people for whom courage won’t ever be an issue and it’s for that reason I have looked up to both since I first saw them compete years ago. Maybe one of them would be willing to step in to show everybody else how it’s done?
Pick the time and place, boys. I’ll be there.

Hall, 34, is a decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace, specializing in the 50/50 guard. He made his way to the UFC as a contestant on “The Ultimate Fighter 23,” serving under coach Urijah Faber. Hall was eliminated in the quarterfinal round, losing a majority decision to Saul Rogers, but was later brought back to replace Rogers, who was denied a visa, in the season’s finals. There, Hall defeated Conor McGregor protege Artem Lobov to take home the “TUF 23” crown.

Since then, Hall has notched victories over Gray Maynard, B.J. Penn and Elkins, but he has just four official UFC appearances in four full years on the roster. Now Hall hopes to score the biggest name of his career to date.

Aldo (28-6-1 MMA, 10-5 UFC), 33, could be off the table, with the Brazilian for a potential UFC bantamweight title shot against current champ Henry Cejudo, who asked for a fight with “Junior” despite his razor-thin loss to Marlon Moraes at December’s UFC 245.

Meanwhile, Edgar (23-8-1 MMA, 17-8-1 UFC) was also in action in December, suffering a disappointing TKO loss to Chan Sung Jung after stepping in on short notice to replace an injured Brian Ortega.