Back in the winning column in a new division, Frankie Edgar finds himself once again in the thick of a title hunt.
But UFC president Dana White wants everyone to just pump the brakes a little bit.
Edgar, a former lightweight champion and longtime candidate in the fourweight division, made an unmistakable impression in Saturday’s UFC title on ESPN 15, even as he went five rounds with Pedro Munhoz en route to a split decision win .
It was Edgar’s first UFC fight at 135 pounds and his first win since April 2018. While the name of the New Jersey native is never far from a championship, White said at tonight’s press conference after the evening that he more want in his want to compete new division before making guarantees about Edgar challenging for another belt.
“There are some things that need to play out and there are people ahead of him,” White said. ‘He did a good show last night and put himself in a good position, but he has some work to do there.
“Two [more fights] or someone, we do not know, it depends on who he fights after. ”
Given Edgar’s statements so far in his previous weight classes, it’s fair to ask how those accomplishments stack up to join the exclusive club of martial artists who have won UFC fights in three different divisions.
White declined to comment on whether Edgar last night looked better than ever before, instead putting into perspective how impressive Edgar has regularly competed against bigger opponents.
‘Listen, boy will it be [39] years old in October or November, ”said White. ‘To say he looked better at 155, 145, or whatever, the man’s career has been unbelievable.
“The fact that he’s still doing in the way he performed at his age and the wars he’s been through and all the things he’s accomplished, yes, I would say he looked pretty good last night.”
Edgar was not available for comment as he was transported to hospital after Saturday’s fight over precautionary measures. The back-and-forth five-round match saw Edgar and Munhoz bleeding, with Edgar also noticeably damaging to his lead leg from Munhoz’s stairs.
White has no problem with the split call, and credits both fighters for their performances, and found amusement in the fact that Edgar finally made the drop to 135 pounds after years of refusing to do so.
“It was a close fight ,?” White said. ‘It was close. If they had said Munhoz, I would not have said, ‘Oh my God, that’s crazy’. One of those guys could win that fight. ”
‘What’s funny is that Joe Silva texted me last night and said,’ Do you remember that Frankie would get on our piss if we told him from 155? “And here he is tonight,” White continued. ‘But yes, he just fought the No. 5 in the world and he won. ‘
