Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC
After spending the majority of his mixed martial arts (MMA) career at Lightweight and then Featherweight, former 155-pound champion, Frankie Edgar, will make the drop down to Bantamweight for his next fight.
Indeed, “The Answer” will face Cory Sandhagen in the co-main event of the upcoming UFC Fight Night 166 event in Raleigh, North Carolina on Jan. 25, 2020. For Edgar, facing the No. 3 ranked guy in the division is perfect, as a victory puts him right in the mix.
“He’s very dangerous. He’s No. 3, and I still want to fight the best guys in my career, and I feel like fighting No. 3 is a good way to debut at this new weight class,” Edgar said in the latest episode of “UFC Unfiltered” via MMA Junkie.
Winner of seven in a row, Cory will look to score his biggest win so far over a former 155-pound champion, a big opportunity for the 27 year-old.
“For a guy like Cory to come in and fight someone like myself is definitely good for him, but to me I’m looking at it (like) he’s No. 3, and it’s definitely a good way to get myself on a ladder in the 135-pound division,” Edgar said.
Since 2016, Frankie has amassed an even 3-3 record inside the Octagon, with two of those defeats coming in 145-pound title fights, once to Jose Aldo and the other to Max Holloway at UFC 240 earlier this year (highlights).
Given “The Answer’s” past accomplishments and name value, it isn’t too farfetched to believe he can jump the line a hurry at 135 pounds if he can rack up a couple of impressive wins.
Handing Sandhagen his first loss since 2017 is a great way to start.