It was billed as a superfight, and in many ways it was. Two men considered among the pound-for-pound best in MMA fought five gruelling rounds, but it was featherweight champion Jose Aldo who emerged victorious over his opponent, Frankie Edgar.
Even though Edgar was dropping to 145 pounds for the first time in his career, Aldo still looked the bigger man, and in many ways, quicker.
He had a height, reach and speed advantage and used it effectively to keep his opponent at bay for most of the fight.
Edgar’s face was already bloody and his legs were taking the trademark Aldo beating. But the Brazilian was facing a much more resilient opponent than he’s used to and gave up throwing leg kicks after Edgar began checking them and eventually caught one—leading to a takedown.
That turned the fight in the third round. Aldo’s speed was waning, and he began losing the exchange on the feet as the match drew to a climax.
Aldo is known to fade in the later rounds, and he certainly did against both Mark Hominick and Kenny Florian. That’s when things begin to look the most dangerous for him, and it certainly seemed like Edgar was getting ready to pull one of his famous “Rocky Balboa” comebacks.
But, as often happens in Edgar fights, those kinds of comebacks prove only to be real in the movies.
His late surge just wasn’t enough, and while both men took damage in the fight, it was Edgar who came out worst.
In Aldo’s career, it was another assured performance as champion against one of the best fighters in the world and sets him on a path to move up to lightweight if he chooses.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com