Should Frankie Edgar retire before it's too late?
For over a decade, Frankie Edgar has been a force to be reckoned with in the UFC. The American fighter has had a great legacy in the company so far. In his last fight, Edgar defeated Pedro Munhoz in the former's debut at bantamweight. Once again, Edgar proved that he still belongs in the octagon with the young and hungry lions. Or did he?
It has been over thirteen years since Edgar debuted in the UFC and in these thirteen years, he has achieved what many can only dream of. He won the UFC lightweight championship in 2010 and retained it in his next three fights. Unfortunately, fans never got to witness the old version of Frankie Edgar after his loss to Benson Henderson.
Following his loss, Frankie Edgar found himself on a losing streak before making a comeback and then fading again. Overall, he has received five title shots in two different weight classes and has only capitalized on the opportunity once (UFC 112). That definitely says something, doesn't it?
Frankie "The Answer" Edgar answered too many calls
It is no secret that Edgar is a company man. He has rarely declined a fight and always rose to the occasion. If there is a fighter that Dana White can trust to step up on short notice, it is Frankie Edgar. However, taking a bout on short notice comes with its own risks.
Often, the opponent is better prepared to take and dish out punishment. For example, in the Brian Ortega fight, Edgar was brutally knocked out by his opponent. Similarly, his short-notice fight against Chan Sung Jung also ended violently. As of now, he has had 33 fights in his MMA career and a lot of them were back-and-forth battles.
Frankie Edgar is 38 years old and any damage that he takes now could take a lot of time to heal. Moreover, a title shot at bantamweight seems far-fetched. Realistically speaking, his last fight was a close call, and he barely scraped out a win. To make matters worse, the bantamweight division is a murderers' row.
Some of the fighters in that weight class are way bigger than Edgar and securing a win against the top dogs will be nigh impossible for him. This may be the perfect opportunity for Frankie Edgar to hang up his gloves. After all, who would not want to go out on a high note?