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Frankie
Edgar became just the 11th fighter in UFC history to win a bout
in three different weight classes when he earned a split-decision
triumph over Pedro
Munhoz in the
UFC on ESPN 15 headliner on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Making the feat even more impressive was the fact that the Toms
River, N.J., native did so at 38 years old and as the third largest
underdog on the card. Edgar, who did not attend Saturday’s
post-fight press conference, was well aware of the naysayers
heading into his matchup with Munhoz.
“It’s good to be on the winning side. That was a hell of a fight,
Pedro is a stud,” Edgar said in a post-fight interview with UFC
commentator Jon Anik. “I heard a lot of people barking that I’m
old, I’m slow. I definitely proved them all wrong.
“I still got some fight in this tank and we’re going to make a run
at 135. He was No. 5 [in the UFC rankings] and that might put me
right in the top 5. Three weight classes, I’ve shown I can compete
with the best at 38 years old. I don’t want to hear nothing from
anybody.”
Though the scorecards were disputed by Munhoz in the aftermath,
Edgar was competitive throughout the five-round affair, landing
crisp combinations and tagging his opponent with straight right
hands and uppercuts. “The Answer” also absorbed his fair share of
punishment — including numerous leg kicks — and didn’t wilt under
Munhoz’s consistent pressure.
A former champion at lightweight and a title challenger at
featherweight, Edgar has now announced himself as a Top 10
competitor at 135 pounds while erasing the sting of back-to-back
losses to Chan Sung
Jung and Max
Holloway as well.
“If anything, I felt better than I was at the other division,”
Edgar said. “I didn’t carry any other weight. He chipped me with
some leg kicks. I believe I checked a bunch of them, but I’m hoping
his leg hurts a little bit too.”
The Ricardo
Almeida Jiu-Jitsu product is now primed to make a run in his
new division. It’s something he’s been doing consistently for more
than a decade now.
“I just got my feet wet,” he said. “I think the sky is the limit
for myself. I didn’t look slow in there. Pedro is a top dog and
that makes me a top dog. I’m back.”
