BEHIND THE SCENES MMA ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS
08/15/2012
What’s The Answer For Frankie Edgar?
By Christopher Jester
One thing is for sure, Frankie “The Answer” Edgar leaves a fight with fans talking. Whether through his spirited performances, or from some form of controversy – when Frankie Edgar fights he proves that he is champion material. Last Saturday night at UFC 150 was no different. Although most agree that he won the fight by decision, the judges saw it differently. That in turn, now leaves Frankie having to answer the question whether to stay at lightweight or drop down to featherweight.
At lightweight he would likely be pushed back in the heap. Surprisingly he finds himself in the same situation as his former rival Gray Maynard; who failed to capture the belt against Edgar twice. Edgar who now has two loses to current UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson now faces an enigma in the lightweight rankings.
Staying at lightweight he wouldn’t get another title shot anytime soon. But there are still some intriguing fights for him in this division if he decides to stay there. With Donald Cerrone and Anthony Pettis destined to be lined up against each other sometime this year that eliminates two top contenders. However, that does leave Clay Guida, Jim Miller and Gray Maynard. Except two of those are guys he’s already beaten before and with Nate Diaz getting the title shot against Henderson that leaves very few big names for Edgar to face off against, unless you take into mind the return of Diego Sanchez at lightweight.
An Edgar-Sanchez match-up would be an entertaining one as they both like to push the pace and neither one likes to relent to their opponent inside the Octagon. Both fighters need to re-establish themselves at lightweight. Sanchez most recently fought at welterweight, and went 2-2 in the division; losing to John Hathaway in his welterweight debut and Jake Ellenberger in his last fight. Out of the four fights he won three Fight of the Night honors. A fight with Frankie Edgar easily proposes another potential Fight of the Night for him. Sanchez’s last time at lightweight was in a championship bout against a very prime BJ Penn. An Edgar versus Sanchez bout makes sense if the former champion decides to stay at lightweight.
However, his last option and likely his most viable option is to drop to featherweight. One has to wonder if Edgar now wishes he had taken Dana White’s option of dropping to featherweight earlier and getting an immediate title shot against Jose Aldo. Now after his second loss to Benson Henderson, Edgar has work through any division he chooses, albeit that he probably doesn’t have to work up the featherweight division as much as he would in the lightweight division. Bouts against Dustin Poirier, Rani Yahya, or Mike Brown would suffice if UFC elects him for him to fight through the ranks. But likely, the UFC will place him in a fight that if he wins he’ll get a #1 contenders bout.
Edgar is too big of a draw to let him not be in a co-main event or main event status match-up. For that reason alone, the UFC will probably put him in a fight with a top contender such as Chad Mendes. A match-up with Chan Sung Jung would have been intriguing, but he’s already been promised the winner of the featherweight championship match between Jose Aldo and Erik Koch. A win over Chad Mendes would make Edgar a top contender at featherweight, and it would be just what he needs to get back into title contention.
There are two options for Frankie Edgar. One option is for him to perform well and work himself back up a stiff and convoluted lightweight division. Or take a path that is likely more capable of installing him as a re-emerging top contender in the featherweight division. Each division has great match-ups up for him, but if he wants to get back to the top quick, his best choice is to take the featherweight decision. The choice is his, but we’ll have to wait until his next appearance in the Octagon to see what “The Answer” is.
Follow Christopher “sLapDatSuCKa” Jester on Twitter @sLapDatSuCka
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