MMA News

Tag: Frankie Edgar

  • Merab Dvalishvili Overwhelms Frankie Edgar For Tech Fall

    Merab Dvalishvili Overwhelms Frankie Edgar For Tech Fall

    While it was a month later than initially planned, Merab Dvalishvili still had a successful debut in RAF, defeating Frankie Edgar at RAF 09.

    Edgar had some success early in the bout, controlling the mat throughout the first period and earning a point on a Dvalishvili shot clock violation. The former UFC bantamweight champion, however, picked things up in the second round, scoring a point when Edgar stepped out of bounds, and adding another two on a takedown.

    Dvalishvili got things out of hand in the third, scoring multiple points through takedowns and exposure points, racking up a 12-1 score for a technical fall victory.

    Dvalishvili was scheduled to make his RAF debut at RAF 08 against Henry Cejudo but injury took Cejudo out of the bout hours before the event was to begin. Dvalishvili used his RAF 09 post-fight interview time to call out Cejudo.

    This marked Edgar’s RAF debut.

  • MMA Legend Questions Charles Oliveira’s Hunger Before Max Holloway UFC 326 Fight

    MMA Legend Questions Charles Oliveira’s Hunger Before Max Holloway UFC 326 Fight

    UFC legend Frankie Edgar has expressed concerns about Charles Oliveira’s mindset ahead of his rematch against Max Holloway at UFC 326.

    Oliveira (36-11-0, 1 NC), the No. 3-ranked UFC lightweight, is set to challenge BMF titleholder Holloway in the main event of UFC 326 in Las Vegas on March 7. “Do Bronx” aims to regain the lightweight title, which he lost after missing weight before his victory over Justin Gaethje in 2022.

    Frankie Edgar Doubts Charles Oliveira’s Hunger

    During a recent appearance on The Bohnfire podcast with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn, Frankie Edgar stated that while he sees Max Holloway on a resurgence, he isn’t sure if Charles Oliveira still has the same drive he once had.

    “I think Holloway is on a tear, kind of like a resurgence a little bit,” Edgar said. “[Lightweight] is definitely his weight class now. I think going down to 145 [pounds] was too taxing on him.”

    “Oliveira, I don’t know, sometimes you just wonder,” he continued. “He had such an up-and-down type of career until he became the champion, and you just wonder if he’s still hungry. That’s what I wonder. I feel like Holloway is still chasing the bone.”

    Oliveira most recently competed at UFC Rio in October, where he secured a dominant second-round submission victory over Mateusz Gamrot. Before that, “Do Bronx” suffered a brutal knockout loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 317 in his third attempt to capture the lightweight title.

  • Frankie Edgar Out Of Scheduled BKFC Debut

    Frankie Edgar Out Of Scheduled BKFC Debut

    Frankie Edgar’s return to combat sports action following his UFC retirement will not be going down after all this weekend in BKFC.

    Per a report from NJ.com’s Kevin Armstrong, Edgar will no longer be competing on the BKFC 82 card against fellow New Jersey native Jimmie Rivera.

    The reason for Edgar’s removal is currently unknown. BKFC President David Feldman told Ariel Helwani on October 1 that there was a potential medical issue for Edgar that left his status unknown.

    When the news of Edgar’s BKFC debut first came to light, many in the combat community expressed concern over the well-being of Edgar. Edgar, who will turn 44 in a couple of weeks, has not been in action since UFC 281 in November 2022.

    Frankie Edgar Removed From BKFC Debut Days Before BKFC 82

    Armstrong reports that in order to cleared for the BKFC event, Edgar had to undergo an echocardiogram, stress test, and eye examination, as well as a bloodwork panel, EKG, and MRI.

    Armstrong added that Edgar’s family and friends have asked him not to return to action but Edgar reportedly felt the BKFC environment was safer because of the punching-only focus.

    The UFC Hall of Famer lost five of his last six fights in the UFC, occuring between 2019 and 2022.

    Rivera, a fellow UFC veteran, will remain on the card, taking on Timmy Mason.

    BKFC 82 will take place on October 4 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. It is the first bare-knuckle event to take place in the Garden State.

  • Frankie Edgar Coming Out Of Retirement To Make BKFC Debut

    Frankie Edgar Coming Out Of Retirement To Make BKFC Debut

    After about three years away from active combat competition, UFC Hall of Famer Frankie Edgar is set to return on October 4 in a completely different environment.

    Edgar will be moving from the gloves to his bare knuckles, signing with BKFC, per a report from Ariel Helwani.

    Pending an approval from the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, Edgar will reportedly make his BKFC debut on October 4 at BKFC 82, which takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey — Edgar’s home state.

    His opponent will be fellow UFC veteran Jimmie Rivera.

    Frankie Edgar vs. Jimmie Rivera Booked For BKFC 82

    Edgar made his MMA debut in 2005, going on to sign with the UFC in 2007 and having a 15-year career with the promotion, competing in three weight classes and getting inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2024. His last fight came at UFC 281, where he was knocked out by Chris Gutierrez — Edgar’s third consecutive knockout loss.

    Edgar defeated B.J. Penn in upset fashion at UFC 112 to become UFC lightweight champion. He’d retain the title in a rematch against Penn at UFC 118 before retaining in a pair of fights (the latter two in a trilogy) against Gray Maynard in 2011.

    After dropping the title to Benson Henderson and losing a subsequent rematch, Edgar moved down to 145, unsuccessfully challenging for featherweight gold three times (twice undisputed, once interim), losing to Jose Aldo at UFC 156 and UFC 200 and to Max Holloway at UFC 240.

    Edgar moved down to bantamweight in 2020, winning his division debut against Pedro Munhoz before the three-fight losing skid that ended his UFC tenure.

    Rivera, who finished his MMA career 23-5, fought for the UFC between 2015 and 2021, going 7-4 in the promotion. Rivera has not fought in MMA since his last UFC bout — a loss to Munhoz at UFC Vegas 20.

    Rivera signed with BKFC later that year, and he is 2-2-1 in the promotion thus far. Rivera most recently fought at BKFC Fight Night Montana in November, unsuccessfully challenging Kai Stewart for the BKFC featherweight title.

    BKFC 82 will be headlined by Mike Perry defending his King of Violence title against Jeremy Stephens.

  • UFC Legend Frankie Edgar Describes Seeing Islam Makhachev’s Training In New Jersey: ‘All The Stories About Him Are True…’

    UFC Legend Frankie Edgar Describes Seeing Islam Makhachev’s Training In New Jersey: ‘All The Stories About Him Are True…’

    Former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar knows the challenge awaiting Dustin Poirier having witnessed Islam Makhachev’s recent preparation firsthand. 

    Makhachev is a couple of days out from his third defense of the 155-pound title and first against an established contender in the division. In the main event of UFC 302, the Dagestani will meet the challenge of Poirier.

    The bout comes after the champ cemented his grip on the crown in 2023 with two victories over then-featherweight kingpin Alexander Volkanovski, the second of which came by way of a brutal knockout in Abu Dhabi.

    While Makhachev had the crowd on his side in the Middle East, those inside Newark’s Prudential Center will no doubt be cheering for his opposition come fight night, as one of the sport’s biggest fan favorites looks to reach the throne at the third time of trying.

    According to one former champ, however, Makhachev is unlikely to be unseated anytime soon…

    Edgar Sees Makhachev Remaining UFC Lightweight King ‘For A While’

    During a recent interview with John Morgan for Grind City Media, Edgar spoke about his experience training alongside Makhachev and his team at Nick Catone MMA & Fitness in New Jersey.

    While “The Answer” didn’t delve into the details of Makhachev’s pre-fight work, he did note that those who’ve lauded Makhachev’s talent were certainly not exaggerating.

    “I’m just hanging out with these guys, trying to take as much knowledge as I can while they’re down,” Edgar said. “I got them set up with the right people (in New Jersey)… It’s cool just to rub off on these guys, man. They train amazing, you know, bunch of good guys… It was a cool experience for everybody.

    “He’s an animal, man. I’m not gonna say really what goes on behind closed doors, but watching him against some of the guys he’s sparring is impressive,” Edgar continued. “All the stories about him are true, if that makes sense.”

    Edgar also made an appearance in episode three of the UFC 302 Embedded: Vlog Series, further laying praise on Makhachev’s training and ability.

    “It’s go time for these guys. They’re all zeroing in,” Edgar stated. “Islam, he’s just a freak. I see him having this belt for a while.”

    Makhachev will look to prove Edgar, his supporters, and the oddsmakers right this weekend at UFC 302 by becoming the third individual to stall the championship ambitions of Poirier.

  • (Flashback) Gracie: Everyone’s Taking Steroids Except Weidman & Edgar

    Seven years ago, MMA legend Renzo Gracie weighed in on the controversial topic of performance-enhancing drugs in MMA.

    Fresh after Anderson Silva failed a drug test in connection to his 183 bout against Nick Diaz, Gracie took the time to weigh in on the topic.

    According to Gracie, Silva was not the exception when it comes to steroid usage in the sport but was rather the rule. In fact, only two fighters came to mind when Gracie thought of who would serve as “exceptions.”

    “Everybody is taking (steroids),” said Gracie to Brazilian media outlet Tatame. “The difference is that Anderson probably lost control of when the substance would be out of his body. Fighters who don’t use (PEDs) can’t compete in this sport. There are some exceptional guys, like Frankie Edgar and Chris Weidman. Those two never took anything. I watch them closely. Everybody takes (steroids), except them. But they are rare cases.”

    “I don’t understand much about steroids, but I heard that substance is hard to catch,” Gracie continued. “For whatever reason, [Silva] was caught. I don’t know if he took it longer than he should. The problem with those things is that you develop an addiction, both physically and psychologically.”

    Of course, the “Everyone is on steroids” take was later made famous by Nate Diaz. But these comments from years past illustrate that there are others who share Diaz’s cynical take on how their peers approach the sport.

    H/T: Guilherme Cruz of MMAFighting.com for translating.

    What percentage of MMA fighters do you believe are on steroids? And do you think USADA has made a significant different on PED usage in the sport?

  • Frankie Edgar Details Recovery Following Back, Hip Surgeries

    UFC bantamweight Frankie Edgar had quite the eventful aftermath to his disappointing loss to Marlon Vera at UFC 268.

    Just days after the knockout defeat, Edgar underwent surgery to remove part of a bulging disc in his lower spine. The surgery was successful but requires quite a lengthy recovery process.

    The former UFC lightweight champion has had his fair share of struggles since moving down to bantamweight. After falling short of featherweight gold, he’s lost two of his last three fights at 135 pounds, including knockouts to Cory Sandhagen and Vera.

    During a recent segment of his Champ and The Tramp podcast, Edgar gave an update after undergoing two significant procedures.

    “So far, so good,” Edgar said. “Obviously a little sore, but the reason I went there – it feels like it worked. I always push too hard, sometimes. I feel really good. I want to do more. I can’t twist and turn and bend over. I feel like I can do all that, but I’m trying to sustain myself in the meantime.

    “I feel like I can do all of this, but I’m trying to make ends meet for now. I’m glad I did it. I hope it stays feeling like it is now. Two surgeries and now I’m fine walking around.” (h/t ESPN)

    Last month, Edgar denied that he’s seriously considering leaving MMA just yet. During a podcast episode last month, he was adamant in his stance that he isn’t ready to retire, despite being 40 years old.

    UFC President Dana White seemed vague about Edgar’s future with the promotion after his latest defeat, and he’ll likely need a win in his return to remain on the roster. For now, all things are looking positive when it comes to Edgar’s health.

    Who would you like to see Frankie Edgar fight in his return to the cage?