Last Of A Dying Breed?
In a day and age when fighters are seeking “money fights,” asking for title shots after only one win, and holding out for bigger pay before stepping back into the Octagon, Frankie Edgar remains the same fighter who is down to scrap and let his actions do all of the talking for him.
Even as his time as lightweight champion, Edgar was never one to count other people’s money or pick and choose his opponents. Instead, he has always been the same “hard worker” through and through who simply wanted to let his actions speak louder than his words.
You can even say he’s the last of a dying breed in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA).
“I think so, a little bit. Everybody wants to use their mouth to get to where they want to go instead of putting in the work, being a hard worker and doing things the right way,” said Edgar during a recent interview with The MMA Hour when asked if the promotion would miss him once he retires.
“They see instant results so I see why they want to do that, but I’m a little old school, I guess. Me being 36 makes me old school. I just like to do my work, keep my mouth shut and let my results get me to where I want to go,” he added.
Case in point, after Max Holloway was bounced form their scheduled title fight at UFC 222 on March 3, 2018 with an injury, instead of sitting out to secure his shot — which was stalled once before — Edgar opted to remain on the card and was filling to fight anyone.
As a result, he was booked to face off against Brian Ortega — the No. 3 ranked Featherweight in the world — in the co-main event of UFC 222 in Las Vegas. It’s a risky fight to say the least, as a loss for “The Answer” means his guaranteed title shot goes out the window.
As far as how long he plans on fighting after 13 years as a professional, Edgar won’t put a time limit on himself, unlike Daniel Cormier.
“I really don’t have a timestamp on it, you know. As long as I am having fun and I am successful, that’s kind of my thing. I get up to go to the gym, it doesn’t bother me. I enjoy it, I look forward to it. My body feels good right now. As long as I keep winning, I keep doing it until one of those things go on me.”
As far as what he thinks of Ortega as an opponent, he knows the young up-and-comer brings plenty to the table, and though Edgar already halted one prospect’s momentum, he won’t overlook “T-City” based on his inexperience. Still, the longtime veteran won’t allow Ortega to block his quest to become the promotion’s next two-division champion.
To see who else is fighting at the upcoming UFC 222: “Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya” pay-per-view (PPV) event click here.
