Former lightweight champion and newly crowned UFC bantamweight champion Frankie Edgar is on top of the world after defeating Pedro Munhoz at UFC on ESPN 15, and one big reason for that is his doubts.
Despite sporting a “Jersey Shore pimp limp” thanks to Munhoz’s kicks, Edgar said his performance proved he is still a viable candidate.
“I heard a lot of MFers barking that I’m old, I’m slow,” Edgar told UFC commentators after his split decision, which came on Saturday at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. ‘I proved them all wrong. I still have some fighting in this tank, baby, and we’re going to make a turn [bantamweight]. ”
Edgar has now won fights in three different weight classes. For the first part of his UFC career, he dominated the competition at 155 pounds. During his reign he refused to call for weight loss, but later made the drip to gain weight, where he tried three times to capture the title. After his last review of the title at 145, and a stop loss of short notice, he finally made good on a plan to go to bantamweight.
Over five laps, Edgar kept a high pace and avoided most of Munhoz’s power punches. According to official UFC statistics, Munhoz led in total and significant strikes, and tied at 47 percent to Edgar’s 37 percent (unusually, the two different metrics had the same value). Edgar was awarded two takedowns, although Munhoz never spent an extended period on the canvas.
Edgar was transported to the hospital immediately after the fight, UFC President Dana White reported, after taking dozens of kicks from Munhoz. Edgar sported a limp after the fight.
The damage did not diminish Edgar’s enthusiasm for his new weight class.
“If there was anything better than me on the other weights,” he said. “I did not carry weight.”
Munhoz got his second straight setback after a decision loss to current no. 1-pointer Aljamain Sterling. As the No. 5 fighter in the promotion list, Munhoz was able to give up his spot on Edgar, who currently holds the No. 8 spot on the list of fourweights.
The former lightweight champion has said that in his last weight class he is looking for nothing less than gold.
“I got my feet wet,” Edgar said. ‘I think the air is the limit for me. I did not look into it slowly. Pedro is a top dog, and that makes me a top dog. [Tom’s River, N.J.], baby. TR. We’ll be back! ”
Watch Edgar’s full interview.
