Who is next for Frankie Edgar after impressive Bantamweight debut
Frankie Edgar put up an incredible performance against #5 ranked bantamweight contender Pedro Munhoz at UFC Fight Night: Munhoz vs Edgar. The former Lightweight Champion looked brilliant on his bantamweight debut and sent a notice to the entire division. Edgar picked up a close split decision win over Munhoz. There's a lot of criticism surrounding the decision, however, it's safe to say that it was a close fight and could have gone either way. Nonetheless, with this win, Frankie Edgar etched his name in the history books. Edgar added his name to the list of very few fighters who have a victory across three weight divisions, including the likes of Jared Cannonier, Anthony Pettis, and Conor McGregor.
Frankie Edgar will go down as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. Formerly competing at the lightweight Champion, and having ruled the division for several years, he dropped down to the featherweight division. After some incredible performances at the new weight class, Edgar failed to show-up in title fights, losing on three title opportunities, once against Max Holloway and twice against Jose Also at the featherweight division. Edgar also lost his last fight at the lightweight division against The Korean Zombie back in December of 2019.
The victory over top-ranked Pedro Munhoz put Edgar in a comfortable position. He has mentioned in the past that he is not here to spend some time at the Bantamweight division, and has plans to fight for the Bantamweight Championship soon. With many potential opponents in the Bantamweight division, the future looks bright for Frankie Edgar.
Who should Frankie Edgar face next?
Frankie Edgar and #3 ranked Bantamweight contender Cody Garbrandt share a great relationship. They are training partners and have often shown support for each other during the fights. Garbrandt was quick to congratulate Edgar on his impressive win and lauded probably one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. It will be interesting to see both these fighters go at each other at some point. However, the likelihood of Garbrandt vs Edgar being next is very slim. Garbrandt is scheduled to take on Deiveson Figueiredo next for the UFC Flyweight Championship, and it will be a while before he returns to the Bantamweight division. The win over Pedro Munhoz puts Edgar in the top-5 and a couple of wins from here could likely get him the title opportunity.
However, #1 ranked Marlon Moraes is scheduled to take on #4 ranked Cory Sandhagen next. Dana White expressed his interest in Petr Yan vs Aljamain Sterling for the UFC Bantamweight Championship at some point in the future.
UFC could look to book Jose Also vs Frankie Edgar trilogy fight at the bantamweight division. Jose Aldo has beaten Edgar on both occasions, and the #6 ranked Bantamweight contender will look to finally get a win after back to back losses against Marlon Moraes and Petr Yan. Raphael Assuncao is also an interesting option for Frankie Edgar going forward. Assuncao is coming off a brutal KO loss against Cody Garbrandt at UFC 250.
However, Assuncao is a veteran of the sport. With notable victories over former Champion TJ Dillashaw, Marlon Moraes, Aljamain Sterling, Pedro Munhoz, Assuncao has already established himself as one of the best fighters in the Bantamweight division. Raphael Assuncao vs Frankie Edgar makes for an entertaining fight, and a win for Edgar should cement his position as a top contender at the Bantamweight division.
Frankie Edgar looked impressive at the night of the fight against Pedro Munhoz. Edgar's chin held on to what was an absolute slugfest from both the fighters. At 38, Frankie Edgar continues to prove why he is one of the greatest mixed martial artists to ever step foot inside the octagon. It will be interesting to see his new career at the bantamweight division. Additionally, his performance against Pedro Munhoz has paved a way for a brighter future at the new division.