Frankie Edgar: Was His KO of Chad Mendes as Good as Gold? Only Time Will Tell

Frankie Edgar sure knows how to fill out a job application.

For Edgar, the mission Friday at The Ultimate Fighter Season 22 Finale wasn’t merely to beat Chad Mendes, but to do it impressively enough to assert his position as the next No. 1 contender in the featherweight division.

In the wake of a first-round knockout that was better than even Edgar’s staunchest supports could have reasonably imagined? Mission accomplished—at least for the few fleeting hours between the TUF 22 Finale and the 145-pound title bout headlining Saturday night’s UFC 194 pay-per-view.

"Frankie really, really solidified himself tonight as the guy," UFC President Dana White said at the post-fight press conference, according to MMAJunkie.com's Mike Bohn. “Nobody can deny Frankie anymore. He looked amazing tonight, and he’ll get whatever he wants.”

The victory gave the 34-year-old New Jersey native five straight wins since July 2013. It put a lot of distance between Edgar and his loss to champion Jose Aldo at UFC 156. With three stoppage victories during that stretch, it also further shattered his reputation as a plucky, undersized scrapper who typically wins by razor-close decision.

"Everybody said [Mendes] had the power and I'm the volume guy," Edgar told UFC play-by-play announcer Jon Anik during his post-fight interview in the cage. "This dude's got a little pop, too."

Indeed, with Edgar out here knocking people cold, it’s hard to build a case that he shouldn’t be next after Aldo and Conor McGregor settle their long-running blood feud Saturday.

Brandon Magnus/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

Yet so much could still happen before the start of the workweek on Monday that it’s impossible to feel confident about Edgar’s chances. Any number of potential outcomes could remand him back to the waiting list.

If McGregor unseats Aldo as featherweight champ, it’s highly likely the UFC will hold its big-money grudge match over for a second installment. After nearly a year of buildup and a monster PPV buyrate expected this weekend, it would take just the slightest nudge for a rematch—or even a trilogy, depending on how things go—to seem appetizing.

Even a close fight, regardless of who wins, might be enough for the rest of the 145-pound division to expect delays. A controversial stoppage, a hinky decision or the emergence of the proper post-fight injury narrative could also do the trick.

According to Damon Martin of Fox Sports, the fight company is already reportedly eyeing a stadium show in Ireland during the first half of 2016. Unless things change dramatically between then and now, Aldo obviously appears the best opponent for McGregor for that kind of spectacle.

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And none of that even takes into account what Aldo and McGregor might be planning on their own.

Both guys have toyed with the idea of moving to lightweight. McGregor already has rivalries brewing with both 155-pound champion Rafael dos Anjos and No. 1 contender Donald Cerrone. That tandem will meet for lightweight gold on December 19, and the Irishman could be positioned as a proper next opponent for the winner (or loser) with a small amount of finagling.

Unless any of the above plot twists also include the forfeiture of the featherweight crown, they would probably force Edgar to take another fight before getting his chance at the title.

Though he would obviously be first up as a substitute after any injury, it would still amount to a postponement that a veteran like Edgar could ill afford.

The one thing we know for sure is that he more than held up his end of the bargain this weekend.

He came into this bout as the slight favorite, but conventional wisdom said his game plan would be to avoid Mendes’ power strikes while using his speed and cardio to wear him down over the course of 25 minutes.

In the early going, Edgar accepted some hard low kicks and a couple of notable punches from Mendes. He stuffed an early takedown attempt by Edgar, and the confines of the UFC’s smaller Octagon also seemed to favor Mendes.

Yet once Edgar began to land his crisp striking combinations, it was clear his speed advantage and diverse boxing attack were going to be trouble.

The end came in just two minutes, 28 seconds, after Edgar stunned Mendes with a right hand and followed it up with a whipping left hook. The second punch landed squarely on the button, and Mendes slumped stiffly to his back on the canvas.

The reaction of Anik and broadcast partner Brian Stann summed up the moment perfectly, as captured in a photo by MMAFighting.com’s Esther Lin:

"

@bokamotoESPN @BrianStann @Jon_Anik lol I didn't even see it originally but now I wanna zoom in pic.twitter.com/SRCuvqImm3

— esther lin (@allelbows) December 12, 2015"

Mendes may have been only momentarily out. He was already rolling to his feet when referee John McCarthy stepped in to stop the fight. Still, it was enough. Mendes was clearly badly hurt, and his protest lasted just a few seconds before he was smiling and congratulating Edgar in the middle of the cage.

John Locher/Associated Press

It was Edgar’s first opening-round stoppage since he TKOed Mark Bocek in his second UFC fight way back at UFC 73 in July 2007.

The victory was impressive and impeccably timed. In short, it was exactly what Edgar needed at exactly the right time.

If his next fight isn't for the title, it’s tough to imagine an opponent who wouldn’t feel like a letdown—though fourth-ranked featherweight Ricardo Lamas just defeated Diego Sanchez on November 21 and No. 5 Max Holloway fights Jeremy Stephens at UFC 194.

Either one could be a potential foe for Edgar, who has been around the block long enough not to bet the house on his No. 1 contender status until his next bout agreement is signed.

“Nothing’s in stone,” Edgar said at the post-fight presser, per Sherdog.com’s Tristen Critchfield. “I know this business. [White] seemed pretty happy, and I walked out of there even happier, so I think we’re [headed] in the right direction.”