UFC 136 Results: Is Frankie Edgar the Most Overlooked Champion in the UFC?

The UFC Lightweight Champion may be a perennial underdog due to his size, but that hardly makes him overlooked as a fighter and as a champion, especially now.

However, a case could be made for him at one time being the most overlooked champion.

Frankie Edgar managed to pull off a shocking upset against B.J. Penn at UFC 112. Edgar captured the title that night, but people still regarded Penn as the true lightweight champion; Edgar's victory was nothing but a fluke.

At this time Edgar was overlooked as a champion because the consensus was that Edgar was just keeping the belt warm for Penn.

Penn was awarded an immediate rematch with Edgar to reclaim his title but Edgar removed all doubt, beating the Hawaiian more convincingly the second time around.

Was Edgar overlooked after this?

To a degree. People still didn't want to give him credit. Instead of viewing him one of the best fighters in the UFC who coincidentally is a lightweight, he was viewed as nothing special, just somebody who had Penn's number.

Edgar stopped being overlooked in his first title defense against Gray Maynard. He showed in that fight his tremendous heart and conditioning; gaining many fans. He became a sort of people's champion.

Edgar is definitely not overlooked now, after again surviving a devastating onslaught from Gray Maynard and actually coming back to win the fight by an epic TKO victory.

No, Edgar isn't overlooked, especially when compared to the lighter weight champions Dominick Cruz and Jose Aldo. To them, Edgar is like Elvis Presley in terms of fame.

But is Edgar still overlooked when compared to champions like Anderson Silva, Jon Jones and Georges St-Pierre? He was but won't be anymore since he is now the Rocky Balboa of MMA and of this generation.