UFC 136 Results: Five Reasons Frankie Edgar Will be the Best Lightweight Ever

Jeffrey McKinneyOct 8, 2011

UFC 136 is in the books, and just as expected, Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard lived up to the hype.

Their third bout nearly played out like a repeat of their second Maynard had Edgar hurt badly in the first round again.

Edgar not only fought his way back in the fight, but won it by tko in the fourth round.

Following the win, UFC president Dana White claimed Edgar was the No. 2 pound for pound fighter in MMA.

Although may will debate Edgar's ranking, there's no denying that he is well on his way of becoming the greatest lightweight in MMA history.

Keep reading to find out why!

He Defeated B.J. Penn Twice

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The man that many people consider the greatest lightweight to fight in the UFC is BJ Penn.

Penn chased the lightweight title for years, first losing to Jens Pulver, then having a draw with Caol Uno in title fights.

Penn finally won the title in 2008 and defended it three times. Along with the most lightweight title defenses in UFC history, Penn also holds the record for most wins in the lightweight division.

Edgar is one win away from matching both of Penn’s records. On top of that, Edgar defeated Penn twice in title fights.

He’s taken out the only man to ever beat him

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So far only Gray Maynard had defeated Edgar.

Not only did Maynard dominate Edgar in the first fight, he nearly KO’ed Edgar in the second and third fights.

Edgar finally got the revenge for his loss against Maynard.

Every great fighter has a rival or a chip on their shoulder. Edgar finally defeated his.

Edgar Is Tough to Take out

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For the second straight fight Maynard had Edgar hurt badly in the first round.

Edgar proved once again just how tough he is to take out.

Edgar is the type of fighter that never slows down and never gives up.

In fact Edger speeds up the pace as the fight goes on.

The Lightweight Division Is the Best It Has Ever Been Right Now

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Sometimes great fighters get criticized for their competition not being at an elite level.

That is not the case for the lightweight division.

From Clay Guida and Ben Henderson, to Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez, Edgar will have plenty of tough fights ahead of him.

If Edgar can become a dominant champion and clean out his division much like Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre, he will go down as the best lightweight and possibly the best fighter in MMA today.

Edgar Has Been Successful Despite Being Undersized for the Division

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Dana White may have said it best when he said Edgar was a 145 pounder.

Edgar is one of the smaller lightweights in the division today.

Despite this he has dominated much of his competition.

Edgar’s accomplishments should stand by themselves. But considering that he is a lot smaller than his opponents makes his accomplishments look that much greater.