Frankie Edgar. Where does he belong?

[JWGunslinger]

This past saturday Frankie Edgar dropped his second fight in a row to Benson Henderson in an attempt to recapture the Lightweight title. Although many believed he won this most recent outing there aren't many who are too upset he isn't in the immediate title picture. The reason for this is Frankie Edgar's title run has clogged an overflowing division for what feels like forever. He has been the challenger or the champion in every LW title fight from April of 2010 til last saturday, and every opponent he has faced in that time(3) he has rematched. It's not that his fights are boring at all but because of his involvement in title fights the rest of the upcoming talent has been waiting and waiting and waiting. Although Edgar is a very talented fighter with a bigger heart than many I can think of he has made the title picture of the most exciting division very dull, but now that he has lost 2 in a row and does not get another shot for the time being it gives the division a chance to flourish and start cycling better.

But the question now is, will Frankie give in to Dana's pleading to drop to 145 and compete there(hopefully setting up a superfight between him and Aldo) or will he stick to 155 and win a fight or two before getting back to the title?

Personally I want to see him at 145, not only because I think he would be amazing and would give Aldo his toughest test but for the sake of the lightweight division. It needs to flow and get all these young guns a shot at their championship win, and with Frankie there it'll take years before we see more than 3 guys get a shot. Edgar is talented and I have no doubt that he would beat the one or two guys given to him and make it back to the title if he stays at 55. I see him dropping as a good thing for himself, the lightweight division and the fans. We'd get to see him against a bunch of new guys there which is a division on the brink of a big growth, he'd be fighting at his full potential and everyone would be happy.

So I ask you my MMA brethren, where do you want to see Edgar and how will he fare there in the future? Is he truly bad thing for the lightweight division?

 

[Infinity]

I'd love to see an Aldo/Edgar fight, and I believe the Featheweight division needs a big name to help boost it's legitimacy. (Nothing against Jose Aldo, imo he's the 3rd or 4th best pound for pound fighter in the world behind Anderson, Bones, and GSP arguably).

I find it astonishing that he cuts almost zero weight for his fights. I train in Muay Thai & Jiu-Jitsu and I walk around at 165. I've met a lot of fighters that compete as welterweights (170) and I think to myself that I have no business in the welterweight division going up against those guys. They're walking around at 190-200 lbs easy before training camp. Personally, I've been told I should work on fighting as a featherweight as opposed to the lightweight division (which is what I prefer).

For this reason I am both shocked that Frankie won the Lightweight title and did pretty well with it, but I'm also not shocked that as champion all of his fights were fuckin' wars he never walked away from unscathed. A fighter, whether it be boxing or MMA, who competes after barely cutting any weight is such a rarity. I honestly believe it's just Frankie Edgar's stubborn personality that makes him want to stay at lightweight... but Dana is absolutely right. He should be a Featherweight at least. If he walks around at 155, even going down to 135 would make sense. During UFC 150 Mike Goldberg mentioned that Frankie Edgar had officially spent the most time in the octagon with all his 5 round wars and what not. I was confused as to why Mike was saying this as if it were some sort of accolade. It's not. That shows a lack of finishing ability. Bravo for your cardio, Frankie... maybe there's a reason it's so damn hard for you to finish off an opponent.

The only reason I'd want him to remain in the lightweight division is because I want to see Edgar vs Diaz, vs Pettis, vs Cerrone, & even vs Jim Miller. There are just so much more exciting match ups imo in the Lightweight Division, but that's me as a fan. If I were advising Frankie, I'm not sure he'd be able to defeat some of those guys and would suggest a drop in weight.

 

[JWGunslinger]

145 does need someone like Frankie, they get new talented faces what feels like every other day but Jose needs a serious contender right now and Edgar is the only name who is immediately a blockbuster main event that everyone will want to see. I do like the idea that he needs to have a fight or two to earn a shot, not that he isn't qualified but he's already been granted that rematch for Bendo's title without taking another fight before hand to work back to it, so this time around I'd like to see him earn the shot with atleast one win over someone like Jung, Poirier, or the one I like most Mendez.

These days if you want to fight professionally and you can cut you do it, otherwise you're going to have a difficult time with al the other guys who are cutting down 20 lbs. I train at Cesar Gracie's in Pleasant Hill and was focusing on a career in MMA as my primary career before I fucked up my back and had to make some changes to my plans for the future. But I walk around at about 186 and I was making the cut to LW, it was tough but damn I preferred cutting that weight than being smothered by a massive 85er.

Edgar definitely was a shock when he worked his way to the title through such tough guys like Franca, Sherk and Penn, the only thing that can explain it is the guy is talented beyond explanation. He's got crazy heart and cardio, great footwork, boxing and wrestling. I mean what else can you ask for, the dude's a serious force even though he's outsized. I'd like to see him and Miller again maybe and Pettis but not really interested in any others at LW. But whether its at 55 or 45 we'll see some good new fights.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

I read something on MMA Junkie early last week about his manager saying he needs to drop all the way down to 135. Idk about that, especially considering 135 has more name guys than 145.

I personally think that 145 would suit him well. He says he doesn't cut much to get to 155, so an extra ten pounds shouldn't take a whole lot out of him, especially if he drops a few pounds. He would still have most of his speed, and would still be able to frustrate guys on the feet like he did with Penn. Guys like Maynard(despite the KO win) and Bendo, who are big 155ers are too strong for him though and I think it effects him. I think he would be the best wrestler at 145 and I honestly think he automatically becomes the biggest star there if he drops down. Aldo is building his name, but he isn't a certified draw yet. Outisde of that its a mixed bag of guys, MTB has some name value due to his WEC days, but his star is waning fast, Nam Phan has name value but is pretty middle of the road, Diego Nunes is a good fighter but lacks name value, Manny Gamburian has some recognition due to his TUF run, Koch is the #1 contender but he couldn't sell a free card, let alone a PPV. CHad Mendes is boring, and guys like Cole Miller and Denis Siver don't look like top contenders. The guy thought to be the best threat to Aldo, Hatsu Hioki had been lackluster in his UFC wins, and just lost.

Outside of Aldo the only other guy who has name value and skill is KZ, and while I love me some Korean Zombie, he isn't a top draw and I'm not really convinced he could hang five rounds with Aldo.

If Frankie drops he will probably get the Kenny Florian, Urijah Faber treatment. Fight a decent contender, win, get a title shot. If he loses he will always be close due to his name value.

 

[Kashagi]

Frankie is my favourite fighter, and I am so confident he won that fight, but these things happen unfortunately, best to move on.

Frankie still remains one of the top Lightweights, and is a tough match up, and a favourite over almost everyone in the division. He doesn't need to move down, he can more then hang with these guys. That said, I'd love to see the Frankie/Aldo super fight, it would be crazy.

In reality, Frankie knows he can hang with the 155 guys, perhaps even prefers to. The guy is clearly a very stubborn personality, and while he may entertain dropping, I really doubt he will ever do it. He seems very comfortable where he is, despite the two losses.

 

[jmt225]

As a fan I want to see Frankie Edgar cut to 145 and see how he'd do there. However, I'm a strong component that fighters should only fight where they're most comfortable at, and if Frankie is most comfortable at 155, then he should stay there and work his way back up to another title shot.

I'm not a Frankie Edgar fan. I hate his point fighting style and his personality can rub me the wrong way at times. That said, I respect that he continues to carry his career on his terms, rather than caving into pressure and making moves he doesn't want to. That's an admirable trait that most guys in MMA aren't secure enough to have.