At the end of three rounds, Frank “The Answer” Edgar found himself on the wrong side of a unanimous decision to Gray Maynard. Armed with his size and his wrestling, Maynard bullied the 7-0 Edgar, dictating every aspect of the lightweight bout.
Just over one year later, Edgar finds himself up against yet another solid wrestler, but he does not plan on being bullied again.
Edgar will fight Sean “The Muscle Shark” Sherk on May 23 at UFC 98.
Edgar and Sherk are coming off impressive decision victories over Hermes Franca and Tyson Griffin respectively. Both plan on extending their win streak to two victories and taking another step toward title contention.
Sherk (30-3-1) is considered by many to be on his way back to a title shot with B.J. Penn. Edgar (9-1-0) seeks to take his place on the list of contenders.
A victory over “The Muscle Shark” is never going to be gained with ease, however. Sherk has lost just three times in his UFC career against such extraordinary fighters as Matt Hughes, Georges St. Pierre, and most recently B.J. Penn. Edgar looks to add a loss to Sherk’s record and would be honored to become the fourth man on that impressive list.
Both fighters seek to continue their runs at a title shot. Frank Edgar is going to need an answer for Sean Sherk, who continues his climb to the top of the lightweight division.
Edgar was bullied around by Gray Maynard, so fans have to be wondering if he will be muscled around by Sherk. Will Sherk simply be too much for Edgar? Or will Edgar shine in this lightweight fight?
The only certainty for this 155-pound bout is that it has Fight of the Night written all over it.
Finding time in his hectic schedule, Frank Edgar took the time to respond to several questions regarding his upcoming bout with former lightweight champion Sean Sherk.
The full interview transcript is available below. Whether or not he feels comfortable going to the judges against Sherk, the benefits he gains from coaching at Rutgers University, and his thoughts on his future in the lightweight division can all be uncovered in this interview with UFC lightweight fighter Frank “The Answer” Edgar.
Nate Lawson: You are set to fight Sean Sherk at UFC 98. What are your thoughts on fighting such a high-profile mixed martial artist?
Frank Edgar: It is a great opportunity for me. Sean is obviously one of the best in the lightweight division. He is a former lightweight champ. It’s just going to be a perfect time to show if I belong or not.
Nate Lawson: What have you specifically been focusing on during training for this fight?
Frank Edgar: I just focus on everything. Watching Sean prepare for the fight it shows that he has great stand up, as well as his strong wrestling base. I have been training my jiu-jitsu, my wrestling, and my boxing pretty evenly.
Nate Lawson: Sherk has only lost three times in his career. How big would it be to your career to be the fourth man to beat him, alongside Matt Hughes, Georges St. Pierre, and B.J. Penn?
Frank Edgar: I mean that would be huge. Like you said, he has only lost to the absolute best. If I am able to put a loss on his record and have my name under those guys’ names, you can’t ask for anything else.
Nate Lawson: You had a decorated career as a wrestler throughout high school and college, yet against Gray Maynard seemed to take control of the wrestling. What went wrong in that fight and how have you fixed those problems?
Frank Edgar: With Gray, he was a pretty big guy. He does have great wrestling himself. I just felt that I was kind of an easy target for him. He had me worrying about the take down a little too much, then he would surprise me with the hands, and the take down was a little bit easier than I should have made for him.
Nate Lawson: How do you plan on defending against the wrestling of Sean Sherk?
Frank Edgar: I just have to move. I have to keep fast feet and constantly be putting pressure on him. Have him worry about everything that I am going to do.
Nate Lawson: Of your last seven fights, you have gone to the judges’ scorecards six times. What makes you so comfortable with letting the fight go to a decision?
Frank Edgar: I don’t plan on going to the outcome. I just think some of the guys I have fought are just pretty good dudes. I think most of the guys I have fought have not really been stopped before, so it’s not like I’m the only one not stopping them.
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