Hailing from Toms River, New Jersey, Frankie Edgar grew up a wrestler however would flip right into a world champion. New Jersey has had it’s fair proportion of fight sports activities champions in Marvin Hagler, Chuck Wepner, and Jersey Joe Walcott however Edgar introduced one thing completely different.
Frankie Edgar carved out a job in combined martial arts as the game was driving a wave of momentum submit Final Fighter and proper as fighters like Georges St. Pierre and Brock Lesnar have been bringing new eyes to it. He by no means was one to be loud, he didn’t beg for title pictures, he very a lot simply received his fights and that was all he was involved with. From there he finally was given the last word likelihood and he seized his second.
A Corridor of Fame profession although at all times has to come back to an finish and that appears to be what is going to occur at Madison Sq. Backyard on Saturday at UFC 281. He received’t exit on high however he’s going out on his phrases and in a venue simply 77 miles away from his hometown. Not each fighter will get that profit, particularly within the UFC, however Edgar as at all times proved what arduous work will earn you.
In an extended profession there are three defining moments that followers ought to bear in mind Frankie Edgar for. The primary got here in a rustic the UFC now does enterprise with routinely however on the time was new for the main model in combined martial arts.
‘I can’t battle eternally’: Frankie Edgar discusses upcoming retirement | https://t.co/3KzbgJz9D5 pic.twitter.com/MgM2tG1Zu3
— The Mac Life (@TheMacLife) November 2, 2022
Edgar Defeats a Legend to Win the Light-weight Title
UFC 112 would happen on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi again in 2010, 10 years earlier than Battle Island was a thought. It was unmarked territory for the UFC however would rapidly show its price.
Enterprise dealings apart, this occasion might be remembered extra for the antic of Anderson Silva towards Demian Maia of their Middleweight Title bout. Silva was screaming at Maia, selecting to not have interaction, and left Dana White infuriated on the submit battle presser. What individuals lose sight of is the then Light-weight G.O.A.T B.J. Penn had misplaced his title to then comparatively unknown Frankie Edgar. Penn was coming off back-to-back stoppage wins and was a heavy favourite within the battle. Edgar used his wrestling and crisp putting to outpoint the MMA legend and take the title dwelling to Toms River.
Edgar Erases his First Loss From His Document in Loopy Trilogy
In 2008, Frankie Edgar suffered his first profession loss to Grey Maynard by way of resolution. The bout wasn’t something near what the subsequent two between them could be like. At UFC 125 on New Yr’s Day 2011, Edgar and Maynard would have an all-out struggle that continues to be among the finest fights within the division’s historical past. Their rematch would begin a dialogue round MMA judging and 10-8 rounds after Maynard would knock Edgar down thrice in spherical one. The scoring of that spherical would later be seen as crucial as Edgar retained the title after each males fought to a draw.
After all with each males going via eight arduous rounds towards one another, what’s signing up for 5 extra going to do? It will produce one other all-time basic however this one wouldn’t see the judges’ scorecards.
At UFC 136, after combating Maynard for a mixed 58:34 within the UFC octagon, Edgar would erase the lone defeat on his report on the time when he would cease The Bully by way of strikes in spherical 4 of their third bout. This bout has misplaced its lore over time however this very a lot is the unique model of what we’re seeing in the present day between Deiveson Figuerido and Brandon Moreno. Two fighters which are on the high of a division and are kryptonite for the opposite leading to classics in every matchup.
Edgar Drops Down in Weight in Pursuit of Looking One other Legend
Frankie Edgar had a tough go of it within the Light-weight division after the Maynard win. He would lose back-to-back choices to Benson Henderson after he came visiting from the WEC so Edgar stepped again from all the things and bought a lay of the land. He had at all times been a small light-weight and with the merger with WEC the UFC now had a Featherweight division with the king of the division and one other G.O.A.T, Jose Aldo.
Edgar would join a battle with the dominant Brazilian and it will be for the interim Featherweight title. Aldo was coming off the devastating loss to Conor McGregor. The identical story because the Henderson bouts would unfold although as the previous Light-weight champion would have his moments however in the end Aldo would show to be an excessive amount of for him.
Aldo would win by way of unanimous resolution however Edgar once more would make historical past as the primary former champion to drop down and go after the superb crop of expertise that got here in from the WEC.
LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 09: (R-L) Jose Aldo of Brazil punches Frankie Edgar through the UFC 200 occasion on July 9, 2016 at T-Cellular Enviornment in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Picture by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC by way of Getty Pictures)
The perseverance and coronary heart that Edgar has displayed and makes him up as an individual is displayed in all his fights. For these bouts particularly although Edgar reminds everybody that he’s aside of the storytelling of not simply the UFC however the sport as an entire. We see a lot of his strategy in sport and his camp has turn into a hotbed for therefore many nice fighters who will make up the way forward for the game.
It doesn’t matter what occurs this Saturday, the reply to the query “who is among the most underappreciated fighters of all time?” will at all times have Frankie Edgar within the dialogue.
