Frankie Edgar Staking a Strong Claim

Sean “The Muscle Shark” Sherk is one of the greatest talents in the sport of MMA.  The only men to beat him were two lock hall of famers and another well on his way.   Those men are former WW champion Matt Hughes, current LW champion B.J. Penn, and current WW champion George St. Pierres respectively.

At UFC 98, that bragging point slightly changed.  When Sean Sherk stepped into the cage, surely he thought he was on a short road back to a title shot.  The road block he encountered in Frankie “The Answer” Edgar proved too complex to navigate.

While  Sherk had his sights aimed at the winner of Penn-Florian scheduled for UFC 101, Edgar had different plans and derailed Sherk in a very decisive fashion.

Edgar has been quietly making a case to force himself into the discussion when talking about the elite of the division.  With names roaming the landscape that include, Tyson Griffin, Spencer Fisher, Hermes Franca, and of course Sherk, the road to relevance can be a long one.  Edgar has already conquered all those names in his UFC career.

One has to wonder how long will it take before Joe Silva decides to throw this fighter a shot at that belt.  It would not be out of the realm of possibility for that chance to be one or two  successful fights away.

In front of him he finds possibilities in the winner of Clay Guida vs. Diego Sanchez.  A  win over either of those men would prove invaluable for his aspirations for a title shot.  The timing is right as they fight on June 6th.

Another option might be the always interesting Nate Diaz.  Diaz found himself on the wrong end of a split decision with The Carpenter Guida.  Even in defeat, Diaz proved once again he belongs with the top dogs.

No matter how it unfolds, Edgar is on his way.  There are more than a few top shelf fighters for him to test his skills against.  His “A” game may very well prove too much for any fighter he faces regardless. 

Edgar possesses a very sound ground game that was good enough to show ground wizard Tyson Griffin the way to defeat.  His striking at UFC 98 proved too crisp and precise for Sherk who really has recently dedicated his entire approach to stand up.

The tools are in order and in place.  The talent is undeniable.  Now the timing and opportunities must come together.

After looking back at his victories over some of the biggest names in the division, and his very recent dismantling of a UFC LW legend in Sean Sherk one has to start paying this man his due respect.

Edgar’s MMA career is still very young with record of 10-1.  He has built that record on some very respected names in the sport.  It will be exciting to watch his future unfold in front of him as he chases bigger names.

Edgar is becoming a big-game hunter.  He is aiming for the best fighters and taking them out.  If your standing near the top of of the LW mountain consider yourself warned.  You may find yourself asking the question, “Am I next”.  The “Answer” to your question is on his way.  Beware it may not be the answer your looking for.

This article was originally published on Inside Fights where Todd is a staff writer.