When Frankie Edgar lost to Benson Henderson at UFC 150 in his attempt to regain his lightweight championship, it marked the beginning of the end for Edgar at that weight class.
While there is no denying just how dominant Edgar was during his almost two-year reign atop the division, this second loss in a row to Henderson will relegate him to the back of the championship line.
Edgar told the Washington Post after UFC 150 about how he feels about the loss and what the future doesn’t hold:
I felt I improved from last time, and I think I did enough to win…A lot of people told me they thought I’d won, but it doesn’t matter. The judges didn’t. The decision is not going to change, and it is what it is…I’m moving on…Dana’s not going to give me another title shot, I know that much.
With the truth about starting from the bottom of the barrel again fresh on Edgar’s mind, why not try something new?
As many experts have said before, Edgar has always been a bit small for the 155-lbs division, but made up for it with his strength and speed. As we saw when faced with a fighter just as gifted in Henderson, the sheer height advantage spelled trouble throughout their feud.
If Edgar were to lean out just a bit, he could easily make it down to the featherweight division (145 lbs) and dominate at a higher level. With a star like Jose Aldo ruling the roost, the path to the top wouldn’t be easy, though.
Bleacher Report MMA lead writer Jonathan Snowden talks about how a lower weight class might actually be where he should’ve been the whole time:
It’s hard to call Frankie a loser after that fight, especially since I thought he won the bout. But the universe is sending him a clear message.”You are barely 155 pounds soaking wet Frankie,” the universe is whispering. “Why are you fighting these behemoths?”
Edgar will hate this suggestion, but he’s consistently undersized at lightweight. It’s time to drop down and give 145 pounds a try. His time as lightweight champion, it seems, is officially over.
No one doubts how much talent Edgar has and how much he still has left in the tank, but he is 30 years old and time isn’t on his side. If he can drop weight classes and dominate for another few years, it will go a long way in securing his legacy.
Fans already love Edgar because of his immense skill set, but leaving the lightweight division now before he becomes a gatekeeper only to arise like a phoenix in the featherweight division would be another amazing chapter in an already impressive career.
Edgar isn’t leaving MMA anytime soon, but his decision on which belt to chase now will be the biggest decision of his UFC career.
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