Author: Josh Schoch

Frankie Edgar: Dropping Down in Weight Class Is Brilliant Move for the Answer

Frankie Edgar made the bold move of dropping down in weight class to face Jose Aldo, and that move will surely help him keep his three-year title run going.Edgar (15-3-1) will face Aldo (21-1) in the main event at UFC 156, and that’s a tough task in an…

Frankie Edgar made the bold move of dropping down in weight class to face Jose Aldo, and that move will surely help him keep his three-year title run going.

Edgar (15-3-1) will face Aldo (21-1) in the main event at UFC 156, and that’s a tough task in and of itself. Aldo hasn’t lost since 2005, but if anyone can take him down, it’s Edgar.

At 145 pounds, Edgar appears to be in great shape. According to the Los Angeles Times, he thinks dropping down in weight has really helped him.

“Fighting at 145 has made me focus like never before on what I put into my body. It’s made me faster. My cardio is better. I feel more athletic.”

That’s certainly great news for fans of The Answer and horrible news for Aldo and his supporters.

Edgar has shown us that he is dangerous around this weight, despite fighting opponents who were closer to 155. He frequently gave up several pounds to his competitors, but still went 15-3-1.

Since Edgar made his UFC debut on Super Bowl weekend seven years ago, he has been a sturdy opponent, despite fighting bigger opponents. Now that he has found a way to become even more compact while lowering his weight, he is going to dominate the 145-pound class.

The 145-pound class is Edger’s natural weight class. He really should have been in the class since he started fighting in UFC bouts, but he was incredible when he fought up a class.

Now that he is finally where he belongs, Edgar can use his natural skills to fight much smaller opponents than he is used to.

Aldo has become accustomed to fighting 145-pound opponents and will expect nothing different when these two fight. However, that will be a huge mistake, as Edgar is used to 155-pound fighters and will be tougher than anyone else Aldo has faced.

I have supreme confidence in Edgar to make the adjustment without a hitch, and he should walk away from this fight with his head held high.

The real question is whether or not he will stay in the 145-pound class.

Edgar should remain at this weight. It is much closer to his natural weight, and he will be fighting against much lighter opponents than he is used to.

Edgar has the strength and speed to compete in the 155-pound class, but by staying in the 145-pound class, he will become one of the most dominant fighters in the world.

It all comes down to this first fight, but if Edgar fights like he is expected to and is more athletic like he says, there is no reason for him to go back to the 155-pound class.

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UFC 139 Results: Shogun Rua Will KO Dan Henderson in 1st Round

UFC 139 is only hours away, and in the main event we will see Mauricio “Shogun” Rua knock Dan Henderson out in the first round.  This is going to be a lopsided fight, with Shogun dominating for the few minutes we get to see these two fight.Shogun …

UFC 139 is only hours away, and in the main event we will see Mauricio “Shogun” Rua knock Dan Henderson out in the first round.  This is going to be a lopsided fight, with Shogun dominating for the few minutes we get to see these two fight.

Shogun has a variety of ways to knock Henderson out.  He has powerful punches, great knees and punishing leg kicks.  Shogun knows how to finish a fight early, and he will get the chance to do so early in this fight.

Henderson has been knocked down in the first round of each of his last two fights.  Feijao Cavalcante, and Fedor Emelianenko both found ways to get him down, but they couldn’t finish him.  When Henderson goes down in this fight he won’t be getting back up, as Shogun knows how to finish him.

It is not a question of if Henderson will go down, the question is when.  Henderson is a bulky fighter who used to wrestle.  His style of fighting has become swing hard in case you hit him, and while he does have a very strong right hand, he will not be able to hit Shogun.

In his latest fight against Forest Griffin Shogun looked much quicker and more agile than he did in his loss to Jon Jones in February.  Shogun came out slowly against Jones because he had had a long layoff period, but he is in better shape now.

Shogun will be quick enough to avoid Henderson’s hard punches, and when Henderson leaves himself open Shogun will be able to hit him hard enough to knock him down.  That will spell the end for Henderson.

If Henderson can’t land a few hard punches early in the first round he will surely fall to Shogun in the main event.  Not only will he lose, he will be embarrassed in a first round knockout.

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