In April of 2010, Frankie Edgar earned a unanimous decision victory over B.J. Penn, to capture the UFC lightweight crown. However, his victory was not without controversy.
Many MMA fans and pundits argued that B.J. was the true victor, having landed cleaner and more effective counter-strikes during the exchanges. Frankie Edgar was slated to face B.J. in a rematch.
In their second meeting, Frankie silenced his critics, earning a resounding unanimous decision victory over Penn. Frankie dominated Penn, but his lightweight reign was anything but undisputed.
A former opponent of Frankie’s waited in the wings for a second chance to prove himself the better fighter. Gray Maynard wanted to prove that his victory over Edgar in 2008 was not a fluke. Edgar welcomed the rematch as a chance to erase the lone blemish on his professional record.
Frankie and Gray went to war, but after five rounds their bout was scored a draw. Frankie was to face Gray again, in yet another rematch.
In their third meeting, Frankie put all doubts to rest, stopping Maynard with strikes at 3:54 in the fourth round.
Edgar is finally considered the favorite, and the truly undisputed champion. With his fifth championship fight only hours away, we must consider three vital questions as he prepares to face Benson Henderson.