Usually we know all there is to know about a 23-fight UFC veteran like Frankie Edgar, especially considering “The Answer” has practically fought every relevant contender under the sun.
But we will be in unfamiliar territory for Edgar’s co-main event clash with Cub Swanson later this evening (Sat., April 21, 2018) at UFC Fight Night 128 live on FOX Sports 1 from inside Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Edgar has defeated “Killer Cub” once before — submitting Swanson via neck crank back in 2014 — but there is something else going on this time around.
After getting flattened by undefeated featherweight contender Brian Ortega at UFC 222 exactly seven weeks ago, this will be the first time fight fans will see Edgar compete coming off a knockout loss. Edgar’s short turnaround following such a crushing defeat makes us even more interested to see how he rebounds and if getting finished by strikes changes anything in the former champ’s approach and execution.
It would truly be a shame if this were one of those instances where a knockout loss changes the entire blueprint of a fighter. Edgar has been one of the most consistent names in UFC over the past decade and has proven his ability to compete against the best of the best, which is evident by his 3-4-1 record in UFC titles fights.
While Edgar was basically knocked out on his feet against Gray Maynard seven years ago at UFC 125, we haven’t seen “Answer” step back inside of the Octagon after getting finished. It lends a little uncertainty to a career drenched in consistency and regularity, making Edgar’s rematch with Swanson later this evening at UFC ‘Atlantic City’ one of the most important bouts of his career.
At 36 years of age, Edgar doesn’t have too much time left to make another run at UFC gold. If he’s unable to get past Swanson tonight and loses in decisive fashion, the writing may start to appear on the wall.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Edgar has defied the odds countless times throughout his UFC career so this may very well be another instance of him overcoming adversity, proving his doubters wrong, and reestablishing himself as a legitimate title contender.