UFC Fight Night 66: Frankie Edgar Is Still Championship-Material at Any Weight

Frankie Edgar refuses to fade quietly into the background.

In fact, after all these years, the 33-year-old former lightweight champion refuses to go pretty much anywhere but straight back to the front of the line in any division where he chooses to compete.

Edgar proved that yet again Saturday at UFC Fight Night 66, turning back a game challenge from former WEC titlist Urijah Faber en route to a unanimous decision win (50-45 x 3) in their featherweight fight.

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The victory was Edgar’s fourth in a row at 145 pounds and should put him in the catbird seat, as we all await the outcome of Jose Aldo’s title defense against Conor McGregor at UFC 189 in July. It was not a fact the Toms River, New Jersey, native wanted anyone—especially UFC President Dana White—to forget, as his clean sweep on the judges' scorecards was announced in Pasay, Philippines.

“I want that title, man,” Edgar told UFC play-by-play announcer Jon Anik inside the cage. “I know Dana’s not here again. I don’t know if he’s ducking me because he owes me a title shot.”

That plea likely won’t fall on deaf ears, especially among UFC executives, who must know that granting Edgar another championship opportunity will be the most athletically compelling and financially lucrative bout in the featherweight division after Aldo and McGregor complete their business.

Edgar still stands as one of the best known fighters in the company’s lighter weight classes and a significant fan favorite. His current win streak has put a good deal of distance between him and an 0-3 slump during 2012 to 2013—when he lost twice to Benson Henderson and once to Aldo, all in championship fights.

That defeat to Aldo stands as Edgar’s only blemish at 145 pounds. Since conceding his title to Henderson and cutting to the lighter weight class a bit more than two years ago, he’s certainly rediscovered his stride against men more his own size.

At 155 pounds, Edgar was known as the plucky little champion who could take a licking and keep coming back for more. Even against Aldo—who is regarded as a big featherweight—he gave up considerable size to a man who is arguably the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

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Against the lion’s share of featherweights, however, Edgar appears on equal physical footing while still enjoying the speed and technical superiority that made him a force to be reckoned with at lightweight. These days, he just doesn’t get beaten up quite so badly as he bobs and weaves his way to more and more of his trademark suffocating victories.

For the first time in a long time—maybe ever—he actually appeared to have a slight size advantage against Faber. The 36-year-old California Kid had spent the last three years fighting at bantamweight, and though he was the more heavily muscled of the two, he gave up a bit of reach and stature to Edgar.

This meeting between two former champions came a few years too late to be considered a true superfight, but it was still a showcase for a couple of the best technicians the UFC has to offer. Edgar came in as about a 4-1 favorite, according to Odds Shark, and though it appeared far more competitive than that in the early going, he managed to craft a clear-cut advantage as the fight wore on.

Faber landed perhaps his best strike early in the second round—a thudding knee that caught Edgar square in the face as he moved forward. It sent a trickle of blood slithering out of his nose, and for a moment it seemed possible that Faber would wrest control of this important contender's bout and perhaps put himself in line for an unprecedented fifth shot at gold in a UFC-owned organization.

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But Edgar was too active on his feet, too slick with his takedowns and, maybe above all, too persistent. This was another of his virtuoso performances, where he only seemed to get stronger as the fight wore on.

Edgar was perhaps most impressive in his lightning-fast transitions from striking to takedowns. Though he wasn’t able to keep Faber grounded for long periods of time, he finished with five takedowns, according to FightMetric statistics. Referee Steve Percival also warned Faber a half-dozen times for grabbing the fence.

“I said I wanted to push the pace like I always do, and that’s what I did,” Edgar told Anik. “The takedowns were there, but, hey, the dude is so technical that he was able to get up. I wasn’t really able to utilize my ground-and-pound.”

When it was over, Edgar had surpassed one significant milestone in the Octagon and neared another, according to FightMetric statistician Michael Carroll and MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn:

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Frankie Edgar's five takedowns against Faber gave him 61 in total for his UFC career. Third most in history behind GSP (87) and Tibau (82).

— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) May 16, 2015"

For Faber, it was the first loss of his 40-bout career in a nontitle fight.

“I won it five to nothing, but Urijah is tough as hell, man,” Edgar said to Anik. “He’s the guy I looked up to when I first got (into fighting). He’s the guy everybody wanted to be. It’s an honor to fight him. He’s a legend of the sport. Us lighter weight guys really it owe it to this guy.”

Edgar exits as the presumptive No. 1 contender, though the sands could still shift beneath his feet by the time UFC 189 rolls around. For now, however, he appears to have as good a shot as any of getting the next opportunity at the featherweight title.

And a better chance than most at winning it.