The life of a professional fighter is filled with uncertainty; their successes and failures play out in the public eye for all to see.
When the cage door closes and the battle of wills begin, it becomes a matter of opportunity. One walks away victorious, the other defeated, the outcome sometimes determined by only the slightest of margins.
What happens under the bright lights is what the fans are left to debate, but rarely are they given a glimpse into what it takes to make the walk to the cage in the first place.
This is what the climb looks like— told in their words. This is “The Fighting Life.”
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New Jersey is known for having a distinct brand of toughness.
Long before an MTV reality show washed over the public consciousness, “The Garden State” had a long history of delivering blue collar heroes who weren’t afraid to chin-check the system.
Former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar is the living definition of what his home state represents. A perpetual underdog, with an undersized frame and an over-sized heart, Edgar has the displayed the kind of grit that legends are made of.
But long before the Toms River native dethroned a fighter widely accepted as the best lightweight fighter of all time, he was testing his mettle and finding out what he was made of.
“I wonder sometimes why I’m so competitive, but I’ve been that way since I was a little kid,” Edgar told Bleacher Report in an exclusive interview. “Everyone got into fights when they were little, but I loved scrapping when I was a kid—even the stupid stuff where my cousin would set up a fight with some new kid in the neighborhood. He would be my corner man and the other guy would have a corner man, and we would throw down. We were just kids fighting, but I was always kind of good at it. I guess it took.
“I have an older cousin and I used to roll with him and his friends. When you hang with the older kids you have to be able to compete with them in different aspects of life, and I was able to do that even at a young age. I believe that played a part in who I became and what I do now.“
Edgar carried his hunger to scrap and tenacity to the wrestling mats of Clarion University, where he garnered All-American honors. While he turned to mixed martial arts following his time at CU, the inspiration to do so came when he watched a fellow college wrestling standout make his mark on a ground breaking reality show.
“I was wrestling in college during my senior year and it was the first year The Ultimate Fighter was on television,” Edgar said. “I watched the show and Josh Koscheck was one of the contestants. We both wrestled in the same conference in college, and our teams competed against one another all the time. Right then it caught my eye and since there were other wrestlers on the show, I knew I wanted to give it a try after college. As soon as I graduated, I found a place and started training. I’ve been at it ever since.”
To say Edgar’s career hit the ground running would be an understatement. “The Answer” rolled through his first eight opponents, three of which came under the UFC banner. After facing a setback against future rival Gray Maynard, Edgar notched three more victories to earn his first title opportunity against MMA legend B.J. Penn.
Despite his underdog status, Edgar rose to the occasion on back-to-back outings to defeat the former two-divisional champion. In doing so, he ushered in a new era for the 155-pound division.Edgar went from the fighter no one gave a chance to one of the brightest stars in the sport.
“When I got to the UFC and won my first fight, I knew I could make a career of this. But as far as becoming a champion, I knew after defeating Sean Sherk,” Edgar said. “While that fight was going on, in my head I was thinking this guy is a former champion and I’m beating him. There is no reason I can’t be the lightweight champion.
“I think B.J. Penn did a great job of leading the lightweight division for a long time, but the sport grew pretty quickly and the 155-pound division became extremely competitive. After I was able to defeat him, there were a lot of guys on my heels.
“I took things as they came and I never get too caught up in the hype. In reality, I was winning these fights, but I was still the underdog. I never felt like people were putting me on a different level. I was still fighting my way up out of the basement. I still feel that way today with everyone telling me to drop down to 145 pounds. I mean, yeah I get it, and I see why fans would be interested. But I don’t pay attention to it.”
Immediately following his victories over Penn, he locked into two fierce battles with Gray Maynard. After their five-round war at UFC 125 ended in a draw, a third bout took place at UFC 136. While this fight had a similar start, the ending was conclusive as Edgar scored a fourth-round knockout over “The Bully.”
Settling the trilogy with Maynard reopened the doors to the division. Waiting on the other side was former WEC champion Benson Henderson. The two warriors locked up in the main event at UFC 144 in Japan, with Edgar coming out on the losing side of the judge’s decision.
Following the event, it appeared as if the UFC was going to demote the dethroned champion. But just as Edgar had afforded his past opponents the opportunity for immediate rematches, he spoke up and demanded that he be given the same courtesy. The UFC brass obliged, and he will have the chance to regain his title at UFC 150 in August.
“Being on the other side of this title fight really does feel the same,” Edgar said. “A rematch is a rematch. The only difference is going to be that I will walk out first. That’s really about it. The want is very much still there. Before the want was to keep the title, and now the want is to get it back. I have the same exact drive and there is really no difference for me.”
As the title fight draws closer, Edgar’s focus will become razor sharp. The hours in the gym will increase. The thoughts of Henderson, the fighter, will become more intense as he attempts to push himself further than he ever has before. All of this is done in hopes he will someday create a better life for the family who sacrifices everything alongside of him. Those are the people who matter the most. And when his career is said and done, he fought for them with everything he had to give.
“Sometimes it’s tough just being away,” Edgar said. “Not just being away from my family, but training as well. You make do and train where you can, but there is nothing like being home. Your family suffers a little bit with you having to be away from home. But hopefully I am creating a better future for them by doing the things I do.
“There are no hidden doors with me. I’m a regular guy, like a cop or a plumber, who has a family. Except I happen to be a fighter. I’m a regular dude—probably as regular as they come. I care what the fans think, and I want them to hold me in a high regard. But it’s more about my kids. I want them to know their dad was a tough dude who never gave up and always tried his hardest.
“If I can accomplish that, then I’m a happy man.”
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