UFC 118: Frankie Edgar - “The Making of a True Champion”

Frankie Edgar defends his lightweight belt against former champ BJ Penn at UFC 118 on Saturday night

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The saying goes: “you’re not a real champion until you defend your title.” Well, current UFC lightweight title-holder Frankie Edgar is out to prove that he is just that, a true champion. He will have his opportunity come August 28th in Boston, Massachusetts in the UFC 118 main event against longtime lightweight kingpin BJ Penn to settle the score and turn the page past the BJ Penn chapter of his career. It won’t come without his doubters however, as many betting sites and MMA websites are penciling in the challenger again as the favorite in this rematch bout. He was able to prove the doubters wrong the first time around, and with many of those same critics still out there calling his UFC 112 unanimous decision victory a “fluke”, he is given even more motivation this time around to prove that he is the new king of the 155-lb division.

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With that being said, if a rematch was ever warranted, you would have to say that BJ Penn deserves one in this situation. Penn, also a former UFC welterweight champion, was atop the lightweight division since securing the belt at UFC 80 on January 19, 2008, a period spanning over two years and three successful title defenses. Some even say he is among the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world and a sure-fire UFC Hall-of-Famer. So what does that make Frankie Edgar?

Given Edgar’s laid-back personality, it seems that he is just fine flying under-the-radar and out of the spotlight, however don’t expect Penn to take him lightly. Edgar, 28, came into the organization at UFC 67 after posting a 5-0 record while fighting for Reality Fighting, Ring of Combat, and Sportfighting organizations. He rattled off victories against Tyson Griffin, Mark Bocek, and Spencer Fisher before dropping a UFC Fight Night 13 bout against Gray Maynard. Only three months after the lone loss of his career, Edgar was back at it working his way up the 155-lb. ladder. Work his way up is exactly what he did, collecting wins over Hermes Franca, Sean Sherk, and Matt Veach to earn the much-coveted title shot. He did his job at UFC 112 exactly how he did in the eleven bouts prior, smooth and efficiently, and by battering Penn with his sharp and accurate strikes.

Although Edgar vows to come into his first title defense with a different game plan, don’t expect to see him deviate too much from his previous game plan. Edgar is well rounded fighter who specializes in wrestling and boxing, but Penn is just as talented in both areas and arguably better as far as his jiu-jitsu goes. As it showed in their bout this spring, talent can only get you so far. I believe that this fight will be similar to their first meeting and will come down to execution and conditioning, both aspects that favor Edgar.

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This bout could really go either way; Penn could come out and finish Edgar early on, or, Edgar may use his intangibles and outwork “BJ” at his own game for a second time. Time will tell in this case. The fact is that Edgar is a superior mixed martial artist, who has proven that anyone can be beaten in this ever-growing sport no matter what the betting lines say. Now, four months later, it seems that he is out to prove the same exact thing, and doing it again as the underdog.

By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Senior MMA Staff Writer