3 Fights to Make for Frankie Edgar After UFC Fight Night 57

Frankie Edgar is somehow still improving, ladies and gents.  

At 33 years old with 23 pro fights under his belt, Edgar should have shown us his full array of skills inside the cage by now.

We've seen him in title fights and in No. 1 contender's fights, we've seen him traverse two weight classes, we've seen him coach The Ultimate Fighter and, if you were paying close enough attention, we also caught a glimpse of his home and his personal life. 

Really, there isn't much about Frankie Edgar we haven't been tuned into, and yet "The Answer" stepped up at UFC Fight Night 57 and looked better than ever, dismantling top challenger Cub Swanson for five rounds before finishing the deed with a last-second submission (literally). 

The win was arguably the best of Edgar's career, and such a performance begs the question: "Just how good is Frankie Edgar anyway?" 

He's damn good. His heart, his cardio and his will to win isn't going anywhere, and his offensive wrestling and top control have looked downright phenomenal in his past two fights, one against BJ Penn and one against Swanson. 

He finished each fight before the final bell and barely ate a punch while doing so. Before the fight with Swanson, Edgar was ranked No. 3 in the division, so there's not much more vertical movement he can achieve before challenging for Jose Aldo's title (again). 

Is that what's next? Edgar certainly seems to think so. 

Let's take a look at three fights that make sense for the former UFC lightweight champion moving forward. 

We'll start with the least likely scenario and progress from there. 

Conor McGregor

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It's hard to talk about the UFC's featherweight division without Irish superstar Conor McGregor's name popping up at least once. 

The trash-talking 145-pounder owns a sharp tongue and a style both inside and outside of the cage to match, making him one of the most talked-about fighters of the past year. 

Unfortunately for his critics, the dude can fight, too. 

He's 4-0 in the UFC with three knockouts, and a bout against Russian-born German kickboxer Dennis Siver looms on Jan. 18 in Boston. Siver is tailor-made to showcase McGregor's strengths, and the Irishman should have no troubles dispatching his foe in short order. 

At 5-0 in the UFC with four finishes and one of the most polarizing demeanors in the game, it'd be hard to deny McGregor his shot against Aldo should he defeat Siver. UFC President Dana White agrees. 

Even more, if Edgar fought McGregor after his Jan. 18 fight with Siver, Aldo would be sidelined until the summer of 2015 at the earliest (and maybe longer). The Brazilian champ recently defeated Chad Mendes in October, and an eight-month layoff, while unfortunately common for champions these days, is not ideal for business or for fans. 

Because of that, this fight makes the least amount of sense for Edgar or for the UFC.

The next two fights on this list, however, are more reasonable. 

Title Shot

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Whether a title shot for Edgar means fighting Jose Aldo immediately or waiting for the winner of Aldo vs. McGregor in the distant future, it makes sense. 

The opponent doesn't matter for Edgar as much as the moment, and fighting for the title is the only thought on the former 155-pound champ's mind. 

And he's earned it. 

Since stealing a few rounds (and in some eyes, the fight itself) from Aldo at UFC 156 in February of 2013, Edgar trounced his next three foes in rapid succession, establishing himself as one of the top contenders for the featherweight strap. 

Wins over Charles Oliveira, BJ Penn and Cub Swanson look great for Edgar, and when one factors in the methods of victory (decision, TKO, submission, respectively), it becomes difficult to deny Edgar's championship merits. 

Personally, I see McGregor getting the next shot at Aldo (if he beats Dennis Siver, of course), and in that case, Edgar would be waiting a while for his opportunity. It'd be a worthwhile hiatus, though, as current-version Frankie Edgar looks every bit the part of a UFC champion regardless of his opponent.

He already showed that he can hang with Aldo, and his improvements might just put him over the edge in a rematch.

Against McGregor, Edgar's nonstop pressure and wrestle-heavy offense could foil the Irish fighter's plans of featherweight domination, halting his championship flight before it reaches altitude. 

Either way, Edgar's chances look good in a title fight, and he'd be wise to wait it out if the opportunity arises. 

Ricardo Lamas

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But who likes to wait, anyway? 

Unfortunately, the least intriguing fight on this list is also the most likely. 

Ricardo Lamas wants to fight Conor McGregor next, but, as we've already covered, McGregor will probably get a title shot if he gets past Siver at UFC Fight Night 59. 

Assuming this to be true, the No. 4-ranked featherweight, Lamas, will need a fight, as his resume isn't quite strong enough to warrant an immediate title shot. 

That's where Edgar comes in. 

The top five of the 145-pound division reads, in order: 

1. Chad Mendes (coming off a loss to Jose Aldo)
2. Cub Swanson (coming off a loss to Frankie Edgar)
3. Frankie Edgar (coming off a victory over Cub Swanson)
4. Ricardo Lamas (coming off a victory over Dennis Bermudez)
5. Conor McGregor (scheduled to face Dennis Siver on Jan. 18) 

There are two fighters on that list coming off victories, and each man boasts a similar run of late. 

Both men have already lost decisions against Aldo in the past two years, and both men have looked better since that fight. 

Edgar is 3-0 with two finishes since his title fight against Aldo, while Lamas is 2-0 with one finish. Of the two, Edgar has faced the stronger opposition, but that fact isn't super important when we're talking about the only two guys in the top five left on a winning streak and without a fight scheduled. 

A No. 1 contender's bout between Edgar and Lamas gives McGregor and Aldo time to settle their differences, and then the winners will clash later in 2015 to decide who will wear the belt moving forward. 

In this scenario, the UFC cashes in on McGregor as a title challenger before a wrestler gets the chance to possibly ruin everything and either Lamas or Edgar makes a definitive statement, cementing himself as the clear-cut No. 1 contender at 145, no questions asked. 

That sounds like a solid idea to me. 

What do you think? Which fight is your favorite of these three? 

Leave a comment, and we'll discuss.