Yair Rodriguez may be one of the most talked about featherweights in the UFC today, but Frankie Edgar isn’t concerned with the hype.
The 24-year-old Mexican striker has been mustering up a great win streak in the UFC, as he earned his sixth consecutive victory under the promotion’s banner with a second round knockout win over UFC Hall Of Famer BJ Penn. Now he will get a huge step up in competition when he takes on two time 145-pound title challenger Frankie Edgar at the UFC 211 pay-per-view (PPV) from Dallas, Texas this weekend (Sat. May 13, 2017).
With his dynamic knockout ability, Rodriguez has been dubbed the next big think in the featherweight division and could prove that to be true with a win over Edgar in Dallas.
During a recent appearance on the Fight Society Podcast, Edgar expressed his confidence heading into his fight wight “El Pantera” claiming the Mexican has yet to challenge anyone on his caliber (quotes via FOX Sports):
“I think this is going to be a big jump, not a little jump but a big jump from what he’s used to,” Edgar said. “But he’s got this hype around him. People believe in him. The UFC must believe in him to put him in this position and they’re hoping big things for this guy. He’s a Mexican fighter, I know they really want to get into that market and he brings a flashy style, an exciting style so the fans are into him.
“But yeah, this is definitely going to be a big jump for him. He’s definitely done a great job in his previous fights, but I know he hasn’t fought anybody like me or at least my level.”
Many people seem to be overlooking the former lightweight champion as fight night in Dallas approaches, given the fact that he isn’t the most flashiest guy inside the Octagon. Edgar will be taking on one of the most exciting fighters on the UFC’s roster today, leading many to believe that the young 145-pounder may have Edgar’s number.
Edgar is reluctant to buy into that hype, however, and is prepared to go into “The Ultimate Proving Ground” and show why the people closest to him believe in him:
“I feel like it comes up a lot for me. Maybe I’m not the biggest mouth or the flashiest guy in the world and people want to overlook me,” Edgar said. “The people that matter, my teammates, my coaches, my family, they know the deal. They know the work I put in, they know the skills I possess.
“I’m not concerned with the hype he’s got. I’m just going to go in there and do what I do. If I do what I do, I know I’m going to get my hand raised.”
While Edgar can appreciate Rodriguez’s flashy style inside the cage, he believes that the man with the soundest fundamentals will always emerge victorious:
“When two good guys go at it, I think the most technical, sound guy is usually going to win. Granted, he does put himself out there and sometimes there’s big rewards in that, but there’s also some dangers. With his style, you live and die by the sword,” Edgar said.
“I think that’s something that could come up where, granted he may catch me with something crazy, but he may also put himself in jeopardy doing so.”
Although Edgar remains extremely confident in his match-up against Rodriguez, he won’t overlook the young stud. Edgar simply believes that his championship career has allowed him to step into the Octagon against the best the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) has to offer – something Rodriguez has yet to accomplish:
“He’s a dangerous guy, he can spoil my future in other words or my future plans. I’ve got to make sure my Spidey senses are on full go in there with him because of the style he brings. One minute of me being lax, can cost me a win. I’m definitely not overlooking Yair. This is a big jump for him, I haven’t fought anybody like him so that’s still a challenge in itself, but I’ve been in there with the best with both weight classes and maybe I haven’t fought someone like him, but I’ve fought the best guys in the world and he hasn’t yet,” Edgar said. This is the first time he’s going to come across one of the best guys in the world.
“I do believe Yair’s going to have a bright future regardless of what happens with me and him but he’s going to have to wait some time until after our fight.”
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