Frankie Edgar is one of the best MMA fighters to ever step into the UFC octagon. Edgar began his professional MMA career in 2005 and after fighting in various promotions like Ring of Combat and Reality Fighting, he entered the UFC. “The Answer” put in incredible performances at featherweight as well as bantamweight. Frankie fought his last MMA bout in 2022 and retired from the sport. In this article, we will have a look at the 10 best performances of Edgar’s UFC career.
10) Vs. Gray Maynard at UFC 125
Frankie Edgar faced Gray Maynard at UFC 125 and the match ended in a draw. Despite this, Edgar’s performance in this bout remains one of the greatest performances. After losing his first bout against Maynard in 2008, he was being dominated in the two rounds of their 2011 rematch as well. After getting totally battered in the first two frames, Edgar held on and fought back in the final three rounds. Although it wasn’t enough to win the match, his strength was on full display.
9) Vs. Hermes Franca at UFC Fight Night 14
When Frankie Edgar faced Hermes Franca at UFC Fight Night 12, he was coming off the first loss of his career to Gray Maynard. Hermes was a former WEC Lightweight title holder and was coming off a title shot against Sean Sherk. “Rocky” defeated the Brazilian via unanimous decision and earned a Fight of the Night bonus for his efforts as well.
8) Vs. Jeremy Stephens at UFC 205
Going into UFC 205, Edgar was coming off his first defeat in three years, having lost to Jose Aldo at UFC 200. On the other hand, Jeremy Stephens was coming off a fantastic win over former UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao. He was seen as a force to be reckoned with for the match against Edgar. He almost did with a powerful kick to his opponent’s head in the second round. However, except for that kick, the bout was all about “The Answer.” He used a great combination of wrestling and precision striking, taking the win via unanimous decision.
7) Vs. Urijah Faber at UFC Fight Night 57
Urijah Faber fought in the bantamweight division during most of his UFC career. However, most of his WEC success came at featherweight. He returned to this weight class in May 2015 to face Edgar. He was coming off winning six of his last seven bouts. Edgar was also on a three-fight winning streak. At UFC Fight Night 57, Frankie out-wrestled the former WEC champion and gave him no breathing space, scoring a one-sided unanimous decision win.
6) Vs. Pedro Munhoz at UFC Vegas 7
After fighting in the featherweight division for years, “The Answer” moved to bantamweight in 2020. He was coming off two one-sided losses at featherweight and faced Pedro Munhoz. The match went on for five rounds, with both men giving their 100% throughout the bout. They were showing an insane gas tank for the output they were putting in. The fight was extremely close, but Edgar won via split decision.
5) Vs. Chad Mendes at The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale
Frankie Edgar faced Chad Mendes at the The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale in 2015. This was a very important fight for the featherweight division, as the winner was expected to face the winner of Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo in a title-eliminator matchup later that month. Edgar was coming off a four-fight winning streak, while Mendes was coming off a loss. Edgar looked to be the faster fighter from the start, and within 2 minutes and 28 seconds of the first round, he knocked out his opponent, taking the big win.
4) Vs. B.J. Penn at UFC 112
Frankie Edgar was coming off three consecutive wins when he faced B.J. Penn at UFC 112 for the UFC Lightweight Championship. The fight was a bit surprising, as Penn couldn’t really do much. Edgar had some success in wrestling and was a busy fighter. Although the match result was a bit controversial, “The Answer” earned the win via unanimous decision and captured the UFC lightweight title.
3) Vs. Yair Rodriguez at UFC 211
Yair Rodriguez came into this fight with a lot of hype, as he was on an 8-fight winning streak and had defeated B.J. Penn earlier in the year. Surprisingly, Edgar was an underdog in this fight at UFC 211. “Rocky” gave an incredible performance that night and it was surprising for many to see Edgar repeatedly taking down Rodriguez and beating him to the ground. After two dominating rounds by Edgar, the fight was stopped by the doctors.
2) Vs. Gray Maynard at UFC 136
The final encounter of Frankie Edgar’s trilogy with Gray Maynard was an epic one. In the first round or two, it looked like Maynard was going to outclass Edgar and finish him. But the champion made a comeback in the third round. By combining takedowns and striking, Edgar completely changed the situation. In the fourth round, he defeated Maynard by knockout, defending his championship and ending his rivalry.
1) Vs. B.J. Penn at UFC 118
Frankie’s first victory against B.J. Penn was seen as a fluke and a bad decision, the rematch proved it all wrong. Just a few months after their first match, fans got to see a great performance from Edgar. It was an all-dominant showdown by “The Answer.” Edgar combined excellence in wrestling and striking. He dominated a legend like Penn, which was still surprising for many, but he did. Edgar retained his title in a very one-sided, unanimous decision.
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