Konan
02-04-2013, 07:03 PM
If only UFC title fights were nine rounds instead of five, then Frankie Edgar might be a champion again. With a little more time to work, the indefatigable former UFC lightweight titleholder might have found a way to wear down featherweight champion Jose Aldo at UFC 156.
Unfortunately for Edgar, 25 minutes doesn't seem to be enough time for his brand of dogged resiliency to take full effect. With Saturday night's unanimous decision defeat, the scrappy New Jersey native now has lost three straight title fights in two different divisions, leaving him with an uncertain future in an unforgiving sport.
"I keep finding myself in these situations," a battered Edgar said after the decision was announced.
Whether by "these situations" he meant painfully close losses in UFC title fights or the directionless feeling that comes with having your hopes dashes in another division, it's hard to say. Edgar was pressured into dropping down to 145 pounds after losing two straight to current 155-pound champ Benson Henderson. The swelling on his face hadn't even begun to go down on Saturday and already UFC President Dana White was talking about the possibility of Edgar dropping further still, to 135 pounds.
"I like that better," White said. "The lower he goes, the happier I am."
But what about Edgar? Will it make him any happier to keep skipping meals in search of someone his own size to pick on? Better yet, will it make him a champion again, or will he find himself in the same situation a few months from now?
That's the thing about seeking a fresh start in a lower division. If you come up short, no one wants to see you move back up and try again at your old weight class. Eventually you find yourself with no more excess pounds to shed. Then you're stuck.
Edgar said at the post-fight press conference that he's not sure what he'll do yet. That's understandable. Best not to make too many career decisions while the bruises and disappointment are both still so fresh.
No one questions his toughness or desire. Even as the champ thumped away at his thigh with kicks, Aldo stood a better chance of breaking Edgar's leg than his will. In any weight class, Edgar guarantees his opponents a long night of work. But with a style that relies on his ability to absorb punishment and still march forward like he's in a bare-knuckle bout with an unlimited number of rounds, he doesn't necessarily guarantee himself success.
Think that'll change if Edgar slides further down the scale? Maybe. Or maybe the trouble is that he's in the wrong era – not the wrong weight class.
Unfortunately for Edgar, 25 minutes doesn't seem to be enough time for his brand of dogged resiliency to take full effect. With Saturday night's unanimous decision defeat, the scrappy New Jersey native now has lost three straight title fights in two different divisions, leaving him with an uncertain future in an unforgiving sport.
"I keep finding myself in these situations," a battered Edgar said after the decision was announced.
Whether by "these situations" he meant painfully close losses in UFC title fights or the directionless feeling that comes with having your hopes dashes in another division, it's hard to say. Edgar was pressured into dropping down to 145 pounds after losing two straight to current 155-pound champ Benson Henderson. The swelling on his face hadn't even begun to go down on Saturday and already UFC President Dana White was talking about the possibility of Edgar dropping further still, to 135 pounds.
"I like that better," White said. "The lower he goes, the happier I am."
But what about Edgar? Will it make him any happier to keep skipping meals in search of someone his own size to pick on? Better yet, will it make him a champion again, or will he find himself in the same situation a few months from now?
That's the thing about seeking a fresh start in a lower division. If you come up short, no one wants to see you move back up and try again at your old weight class. Eventually you find yourself with no more excess pounds to shed. Then you're stuck.
Edgar said at the post-fight press conference that he's not sure what he'll do yet. That's understandable. Best not to make too many career decisions while the bruises and disappointment are both still so fresh.
No one questions his toughness or desire. Even as the champ thumped away at his thigh with kicks, Aldo stood a better chance of breaking Edgar's leg than his will. In any weight class, Edgar guarantees his opponents a long night of work. But with a style that relies on his ability to absorb punishment and still march forward like he's in a bare-knuckle bout with an unlimited number of rounds, he doesn't necessarily guarantee himself success.
Think that'll change if Edgar slides further down the scale? Maybe. Or maybe the trouble is that he's in the wrong era – not the wrong weight class.