Frankie Edgar talks taking last pro fight at UFC 281 just as seriously as any other, shares retirement plans
It’s a bitter-sweet week for Frankie Edgar as he prepares to enter the octagon for the final time at UFC 281.
While speaking with UFC.com, Edgar mentioned that despite preparing for his final UFC fight, he’s still taking it just as seriously as all the other fights in his legendary career:
“They (fans) can tell, no matter what, that I’m all-in on these fights. Win, lose, or draw, I’m giving my whole hundred percent self. That’s what I want to be remembered for.”
‘The Answer’ added that he doesn’t think he’ll change his mind about retiring from the sport:
“A lot of my team says I’m gonna sit there and pull a Wolf of Wall Street and say, ‘I’m not f**kin’ leaving.’ But I was never gonna be the guy to say, ‘I’m gonna retire.’ I was just gonna walk away. But by saying I’m gonna retire before it happens, I think it’s gonna hold myself accountable and I gotta move on to the next chapter of my life.”
Edgar’s final bout being contested at 135lbs was quite a surprise, especially considering he could have requested a fight at a heavier weight division such as 145lbs or 155lbs to avoid the hassle of weight-cutting. But, remaining at bantamweight is a reflection on the kind of competitor he is and why he is still a beloved fighter.
Will Frankie Edgar be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in the future?
In honor of Frankie Edgar’s final fight week here is a video of him being the toughest mf of all time https://t.co/AZryounWEW
After taking everything Frankie Edgar has accomplished in his career, his body of work in the octagon should warrant a UFC Hall of Fame induction.
Edgar is a former UFC lightweight champion after defeating former two-division B.J. Penn, and remained at lightweight, where competed against much larger opponents that could have arguably competed at welterweight. Lightweight was the smallest division he could compete in at the time because the featherweight and bantamweight divisions were in the WEC.
‘The Answer’ also competed against Gray Maynard in one of the greatest trilogies in UFC history, which saw both fighters earn a win and the second fight ending in an entertaining draw.
The 41-year-old was also successful at featherweight and had wins over the likes of Yair Rodriguez, Chad Mendes, former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, and former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber.
The UFC Hall of Fame induction will come down to Dana White, who has always spoken highly of the former lightweight champion. If he isn’t immediately inducted, surely he will inevitably be inducted either for his fights with Maynard or in the Modern Fighter category.