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It’s been over eight years since Frankie Edgar held the UFC lightweight title, a division that produced memorable wars for “The Answer” opposite top names like BJ Penn and Gray Maynard, just to name a few.
But even when the Toms River native was king of the 155-pound castle, there was talk of exploring lighter weight classes. Edgar eventually moved down to featherweight, but was unable to capture the crown in two separate title fights.
Now it’s time to see what spoils await in the bantamweight class.
“I’ve been dieting since I got the call for the fight,” Edgar told MMA Junkie. “So just eating clean and putting the right stuff in my body and being pretty precise and pretty strict in my diet. I feel great. When I was able to fight at 155 and 145, I didn’t have to eat the cleanest and kind of put whatever I want in me. Now, I’m forced to eat very clean, and I actually feel better.”
The move down to bantamweight, better suited for his 5’6” frame, may prove to be too little, too late. Edgar turns 39 in October and was recently put away by Chan Sung Jung, the second time “The Answer” was stopped within the last two years.
“I didn’t want to be the best dieter,” Edgar said. “I just wanted to focus on my skill and be the best fighter. The nature of the sport is that everyone is getting bigger and better and better at cutting weight and putting it back on. So I kind of just thought now is the time to do it.”
Edgar (23-8-1) will make his 135-pound debut opposite the rough-and-tumble Pedro Munoz at the upcoming UFC 251 pay-per-view (PPV) event, scheduled for Sat., July 11, 2020 on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.