Frankie Edgar Makes Stand-Up Debut, Compares Experience To MMA

Former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar has become the latest MMA figure to try his hand at stand-up comedy.

With color commentator Joe Rogan and former heavyweight Brendan Schaub consistently stepping on the stage, as well as bantamweight queen Julianna Peña pondering a future set (if she can avoid fighting the hecklers…), there seems to be a loose tie between mixed martial arts and comedy.

The latest to test that theory was Edgar, who performed his first set at the L.A. Comedy Club in Las Vegas last week, as did UFC featherweight Andre Fili and women’s bantamweight Sara McCann.

Having temporarily swapped the MMA gloves for the microphone, Edgar caught up with MMA Junkie to discuss the experience.

Despite being used to throwing down in front of sold-out arenas, the veteran fighter admitted that stepping on the stage was “terrifying,” which was ultimately why he chose to exit his comfort zone for the night.

“I was nervous as hell,” said Edgar. “That’s why I did it, you know? It scares me and they say, ‘Do things that scare you,, and that was f*cking terrifying. It was fun, the crowd was generous with the laughs.”

When asked to compare the pre-set feelings with his pre-fight nerves, Edgar described the opposite experience he had. While he’s immensely nervous on fight day but calm when he steps within the steel walls, it was the moment he took to the stage when the nerves came for his stand-up debut.

“I tell you what, I woke up this morning and it definitely wasn’t like fight day. So, a little bit less nerve-wracking, until you get on stage. Then I was more nervous,” said Edgar. “When you walk in the Octagon, the nerves go away. You walk on the stage, the nerves come.”

Edgar Utilizes Rough 2021 As Material

It’s safe to say that Edgar didn’t have the best 2021 when it comes to fighting. Having made a successful bantamweight debut against Pedro Munhoz the year prior, “The Answer” was hoping to push towards title contention in his following outings.

Instead, he was rendered unconscious twice, first by a Cory Sandhagen flying knee, and then courtesy of a brutal front kick from Marlon Vera. While two devastating losses may be hard to reflect on for some, that’s certainly not the case for Edgar, who used the setbacks as material when performing his first comedy set.

“A little self-deprecating, I guess. You can f*cking make fun of yourself. I don’t take myself too seriously, I guess. That’s the best way to do it,” suggested Edgar.

While he didn’t commit to dipping more toes into the comedy waters down the line, Edgar certainly didn’t rule out another on-stage experience when asked whether the Vegas set was a one-time thing.

“I don’t know, we’ll see, we’ll see. I’m not pursuing it quite yet. We’ll see.”

With some, including his manager Ali Abdelaziz, suggesting that Edgar’s time inside the Octagon should come to an end after a farewell fight later this year, it seems that the former champion will soon be looking for his next career venture, whether within the sport or outside of it.

Perhaps “The Answer” lies on the stage and with a microphone in his hand?

Does Frankie Edgar have a future in comedy once he hangs up his MMA gloves?

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