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Not long after Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) announced that Junior dos Santos and Curtis Blaydes would headline the upcoming UFC Fight Night event in Raleigh, North Carolina on Jan. 25, 2020, the promotion confirmed the co-headline bout, as well.
According to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Frankie Edgar will officially make his bantamweight debut when he meets Cory Sandhagen inside PNC Arena.
Edgar was previously rumored to make his debut at 135 pounds a few weeks ago at UFC 244 against Aljamain Sterling, but plans for that fight were scrapped after “Funkmaster” underwent wrist surgery.
In his previous outing, Frankie came up short in his third bid to try and claim the promotion’s Featherweight crown, losing to division champion, Max Holloway, via unanimous decision at UFC 240 last July.
Soon thereafter, “The Answer” committed to drop down to 135 pounds after years of teasing the move. With the change in scenery, Frankie will have now competed in three different weight classes, starting off his UFC career at lightweight where he enjoyed much success, winning the title at UFC 112 by defeating BJ Penn.
Cory, meanwhile, has been on a tear, winning seven straight fights including starting off his UFC career a perfect 5-0. During his streak, Sandhagen has taken out the likes of Austin Arnett, Iuri Alcantara, and Mario Bautista. His biggest wins, however, came after he defeated John Lineker and Raphael Assuncao in back-to-back outings.
That said, his fight against Edgar will be the biggest of his career, as a win over the former world champion could be just what he needs to punch his own ticket to the big dance, which will give him the opportunity to back up his words regarding division champion, Henry Cejudo.
You know the players, care to offer up your prediction?