BEHIND THE SCENES MMA ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS!
02/22/2012
Frankie Edgar – “A Champion’s Quest For Respect”
By Christopher “sLapDatSuCKa” Jester
Somehow, after two successful title defenses, mixed martial arts fans are still unsure whether Frankie “The Answer” Edgar is deserving of the Lightweight title. After beating BJ Penn twice, drawing to Gray Maynard, and then successfully knocking out Gray Maynard in their rematch, you would think that fans would ease up on the guy. But some still don’t think he’s done enough to be considered a “good champion”. Come February 26, MMA fans will get their answer when Edgar takes on, who is likely his toughest challenger, former WEC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson.
After capturing the belt from BJ Penn back at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, fans have been split on if Edgar is a worthy champion. Edgar put forth a spirited effort which helped him capture the title from BJ Penn, and when it was announced that it was unanimous decision, it was considered one of the biggest upsets of the year. Although, his stick and move offense won him the Lightweight belt, it did not win him many fans as some of the MMA community thought that Penn had did enough to keep his belt and that Edgar just didn’t do enough to warrant him the championship gold.
He would later have a rematch with Penn at UFC 118. Accompanied with the same style he brought in their first fight, Frankie did it again albeit more successfully and much more impressive. He posted another unanimous decision victory over a future Hall of Famer, and he closed the door on that chapter.
However, there was already history between him and his next challenger. At the time 8-1 in the UFC, only one man had beaten him before, and that man was Gray Maynard. Originally, Maynard was supposed to challenge BJ Penn when he was champion, but due to a poor performance against Nate Diaz, UFC President Dana White felt like Maynard did not do enough to warrant him a title shot, but Frankie had finished Matt Veach impressively to leapfrog ahead of Maynard for the title shot, which we know Frankie later won.
In their first duel at UFC 125, Frankie Edgar took a notorious one-sided beating from Gray Maynard. For nearly the entire five minutes of the first round, Edgar attempted to survive the onslaught from Gray Maynard. In the following rounds, Edgar played catch up; effectively winning a couple of rounds after the shutout he suffered in the first. Impressively, the fight came to a draw. Again, Edgar would suffer critiques considering him not worthy of being a UFC champion. Others would say he did enough to retain his title. MMA fans still did not have their answer about Frankie Edgar.
Without much hesitation a rematch was made between the two. And much like the first fight, their second fight began in eerily similar fashion, with Maynard catching Edgar with a punch that had him reeling for most of the first round. Unlike the first fight, Maynard didn’t push the pace as much, attempting to keep his cardio and conditioning intact. This might have been a mistake for him, as Edgar has proved before that once he gets on track, there is no derailing him. Edgar seemed to put the first round behind him and continued his offense against Maynard, sticking to his game plan of jabbing and weaving in and out. As Edgar got back on track, it seemed like Maynard did not have an answer for what to do if knocking Edgar out in the first round wasn’t possible. What was even more shocking was that Edgar found his mark in the fourth round when he rocked Maynard and polished the off the trilogy with a knockout and another successful title defense.
It was probably Frankie Edgar’s best performance of his career. And what should have been a career defining moment for him; it was still met with criticism that he couldn’t take a punch. One thing no one could argue with is that Edgar has a ton of heart. Each fight with Maynard showed the kind of warrior’s spirit that you see only in the movies. His Rocky-esque performance should have gained him a lot of fans. But it’s likely too early to tell whether or not those two outings can change some of the wayward fans’ minds, or if that stigma will haunt Edgar for the rest of his career.
Without a doubt in Japan at UFC 144, he will have to put on another splendid performance against Benson “Smooth” Henderson, whose raw athleticism may be unmatched in the UFC’s Lightweight division. Since WEC’s merger to the UFC, the former WEC Lightweight champion has posted three victories over tough opponents in Mark Bocek, Jim Miller, and Clay Guida; the latter earning him his first Fight of the Night honors in the UFC.
Benson Henderson will be a stiff test for Frankie Edgar. And without a doubt, Edgar will once again show his heart and determinism come February 26 in Saitama, Japan at UFC 144. By then, perhaps the unwavering MMA community will have their answer on Frankie Edgar.
*Note UFC 144 will air live in North America on Saturday February 25th, due to time zone differences.
Follow Christopher “sLapDatSuCKa” Jester on Twitter @sLapDatSuCka
Post your comments directly below! You can also discuss the latest MMA & Video Game News in the PunchDrunkGamer Forums and don’t forget to Follow PDG on Twitter @PunchDrunkGamer and Like the PDG Official Facebook Page!
