5 potential opponents for Frankie Edgar if he takes one more fight
Throughout his UFC career, Frankie Edgar has defied the odds, emerging as one of the top fighters of his generation. ‘The Answer’ competed at lightweight for the majority of his career, where he’d usually fight much larger opponents.
The size difference didn’t stop Edgar from achieving his goals as he ended up becoming the UFC lightweight champion. Edgar did the unthinkable at the time by defeating then-UFC lightweight champion and one of the greatest fighters of all time, B.J. Penn, at UFC 112.
After back-to-back classics with Gray Maynard, Edgar would lose his UFC lightweight title to Benson Henderson. Following his two defeats to the new champion, Edgar decided to move down to 145 lbs to rejuvenate his career. The American struggled against top featherweights like Max Holloway, Brian Ortega and 'The Korean Zombie', and was clearly undersized yet again.
‘The Answer’ moved down in weight once more in search of a title in a new division. Edgar looked great in his bantamweight debut, which saw him defeat Pedro Munhoz by split-decision. Unfortunately, he suffered back-to-back knockout losses soon after, losing to Cory Sandhagen and Marlon Vera.
Having competed in three different weight classes and a title shot seeming unlikely, there are still possibilities for Edgar. It's still unclear whether Edgar intends to fight again or retire after his recent loss to Marlon Vera at UFC 268.
This list will look at 5 potential opponents for Frankie Edgar if he chooses to take on one more fight.
#5. Frankie Edgar vs. Raphael Assuncao
Kicking off this list of potential opponents for Frankie Edgar is Raphael Assuncao. Similar to Edgar, Assuncao has competed in three different weight classes during his career. Although he hasn’t won a championship while competing in the WEC and UFC, Assuncao has been a constant fixture in the top 10.
Assuncao is currently on a three-fight losing streak and is in desperate need of a win in his next bout. He is scheduled to compete against Ricky Simon in the final UFC Fight Night event of 2021. It’ll be a crucial fight for the veteran as he will be looking to save his UFC career and avoid a fourth consecutive loss.
Depending on what happens in Assuncao’s next bout, he could be an option for Edgar should he remain at bantamweight.