Frankie Edgar vs. Urijah Faber: A Full Head-to-Toe Breakdown

After a long wait, the UFC finally comes to the Philippines, and it brings one of the best main events of the year for UFC Fight Night 66.

No. 2-ranked featherweight contender Frankie Edgar takes on No. 3-ranked bantamweight Urijah Faber in a five-round affair.

This marks Faber's return to featherweight after nearly a five-year absence from the division. Since that time, he has been in the title hunt at 135 pounds but has failed to capture gold. Faber, a former WEC featherweight champion, gets another big bout with this matchup.

Edgar is on the cusp of another shot at UFC gold. He is currently on a three-fight win streak, and the former UFC lightweight champion has looked stellar in recent outings. This fight has all the makings to be a Fight of the Year contender.

Enough beating around the bush. Here is your breakdown for this weekend's astounding main event.

Striking

Michael Thomas/Associated Press

We have seen great strides in Faber's striking during the past couple of years, but he will still be behind Edgar this weekend.

Edgar has some of the best MMA boxing in the sport. He is smooth. The FightMetric breakdown of this fight shows the statistical edge Edgar has, with an advantage in strikes landed per minute and a slight edge in striking defense as well.

Edgar has also proved his striking ability against superior strikers. He exchanged with BJ Penn and Jose Aldo with great success, and they are two of the better strikers their respective divisions have seen to date.

Faber won't be completely out of his depth, but he cannot win a kickboxing bout against Edgar.

Edge: Edgar

Grappling

Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

This may be the most intriguing area of the fight. Both Edgar and Faber are quality grapplers.

Not only do they find success with takedowns in their fights, but they are difficult to take down. And if a fighter is lucky enough to put them on their back, they aren't there for too long.

Edgar uses his wrestling a touch more effectively, and that's why he gets the nod here. I mentioned both Penn and Aldo being excellent strikers, but they are also two of the most difficult to take down. Edgar took both to the floor.

Faber will have to be on top of his game defensively. Edgar's level changes are exceptional. Faber is a small step behind with his grappling compared to Edgar.

Edge: Edgar

Submissions

Dondi Tawatao/Getty Images

These two fighters are so good at defending submission attempts that I do not foresee either one tapping out, but I give the edge to Faber.

Edgar often plays a more conservative game on the mat by maintaining position, but Faber seeks submissions more often. He also has a slightly more varied attack in what submissions he looks for in fights.

Much like the previous two categories, this one is tightly contested, but one fighter narrowly gets the edge.

Faber is more aggressive in going for submissions, and it has paid off in more submission wins. That is enough to give him the nod.

Edge: Faber

X-Factor

Dondi Tawatao/Getty Images

This fight has a singular X-factor I am interested in viewing. That is the weight class this fight is happening in.

Why? Edgar is cutting, and Faber is not. How will that affect their performances?

This past weekend, we saw Robert Whittaker take out Brad Tavares at 185 pounds. Whittaker looked faster and had more power than he ever did at 170. Weight cuts can have negative effects on performance.

Both Edgar and Faber won their championships at weight classes where they didn't have to cut any weight, or at least not nearly as much. Faber returns to that weight class for this fight, but Edgar will have to cut to 145 pounds. Will that cut play a major role?

Yes, Edgar has looked great in his featherweight career. That is indisputable. Regardless, that weight cut has an effect. It could be positive. It could have forced Edgar to work just a little bit harder in his camps to make 145 and turned his cardio up another notch.

Faber will come in completely fresh.

The weight cut for this fight won't be the reason either man wins or loses, but it will be interesting to see how both perform.

Prediction

Dondi Tawatao/Getty Images

This is going to be an action-packed bout. It's just how Edgar and Faber fight.

Ultimately, Edgar will just be a step ahead throughout the bout. Faber will have his chances to score points, but Edgar will score much more often. And once he starts landing takedowns, he will control Faber.

Faber may be down to the infamous "puncher's chance." That is not to say he will be outclassed, but he will need to stop Edgar to win. I don't predict he will win too many rounds, if any.

Edgar is the better striker and wrestler, and more importantly, he blends the two almost as well as anyone else in the sport. Perhaps only Demetrious Johnson is better. Edgar will force Faber to think, and once he is thinking about what Edgar is going to do, this fight is over. Edgar will win.

Faber will be too tough to stop. Edgar won't be able to make him gas for a late-round stoppage, and that means we will see 25 minutes of these two studs competing at the top of their game. It will be an exciting, albeit one-sided, fight. Edgar takes a decision, winning at least four of the five frames.

Prediction: Edgar defeats Faber by decision