Highlights! Edgar Edges Out ‘Punisher’ For Memorable Bantamweight Debut

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar make a big splash in his bantamweight debut last night (Sat., Aug. 22, 2020) at UFC on ESPN 15 live on ESPN/ESPN+ from inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, when he edged out No. 5 ranked contender Pedro Munhoz in a main event classic.

Munhoz was able to land an early leg kick that knocked Edgar down, but Edgar returned favor to land multiple combinations throughout the first round. Edgar also mixed in a sharp jab before Munhoz’s power shots started to find a home.

Edgar leaned on his own power right in the second round and created a cut above Munhoz’s left eye. Munhoz pushed through it but started to get tagged by Edgar, who eventually scored a nice takedown. Edgar’s constant movement really started to takeover the fight and forced Munhoz to reach for some openings.

Edgar slammed a big left hand into Munhoz’s head to begin the third. Munhoz returned the favor with leg kicks, front kicks, and a knee to Edgar’s body. Edgar seemed to slow a bit from the leg kicks, but continued to circle around and landed multiple punches at a time. That was until Munhoz peppered Edgar with jabs for the last minute of the round.

In Round 4, Edgar kept busy with combinations galore while Munhoz countered with crisp jabs and more kicks to the legs. “The Answer” seemed to be regaining momentum until Munhoz scored his best right hand of the fight. Edgar somehow ate the shot, but it put him in check.

It was difficult to score the first four rounds so both bantamweights came out swinging in the fifth to create a lasting impression. Edgar was getting most of the exchanges by landing hard right hands and circling away from counters, but every time Munhoz landed one punch it brought Edgar back down to earth just a little bit. Edgar was able to stun Munhoz towards the end of the frame with another right hand, but “Punisher” absorbed the damage and trucked forward.

In the end, it was Edgar who edged out Munhoz on the scorecards and walked away with the split-decision win.

Check out the highlights below courtesy of UFC/ESPN.

For complete UFC on ESPN 15 results and coverage click here.