Frankie Edgar vs. Chad Mendes Bout Set for Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale

Mixed martial arts fans have long hoped for the day when Frankie Edgar and Chad Mendes would lock horns, and that matchup is finally set to happen Dec. 11 as part of The Ultimate Fighter 22's finale.  

According to Lancenet.com (h/t Marc Raimondi of MMAFighting.com), the exciting featherweights are scheduled to do battle in Las Vegas with the victor potentially moving on to face the winner of the UFC featherweight championship fight between Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo at UFC 194. UFC announced the fight later in the day.

Edgar and Mendes have put on some of the most entertaining performances in recent memory, so there is no shortage of excitement regarding their impending clash.

Chamatkar Sandhu of USA Today is among those who expect the top featherweight contenders to engage in a close, captivating fight:

The same can be said for Bleacher Report's Jeremy Botter, who made no effort to hide his giddiness for the upcoming clash:

The 33-year-old Edgar enters the expected bout with a 19-4-1 record to his credit, along with a four-fight winning streak after losing three in a row in 2012 and 2013.

Mendes, 30, is 17-3, with his only career losses coming against his potential opponents after Edgar as he fell twice to Aldo and once to McGregor in his most recent contest.

Both Edgar and Mendes are known for throwing caution to the wind during their matches, which is why they have combined for eight Fights of the Night between them over the course of their careers.

Despite both of their failures against Aldo, and Mendes' inability to beat McGregor, they have proved themselves to be worthy contenders for the UFC featherweight title. The man who wins the bout during The Ultimate Fighter 22 finale will have certainly earned a shot at the belt.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.