Frankie Edgar fires back at champ Max Holloway ahead of their UFC 222 bout.
Frankie Edgar, former lightweight champion’s next and possibly last chance to grab UFC featherweight gold is back on the schedule.
Edgar will challenge featherweight champion Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 222, which takes place on March 3, in Las Vegas.
As Frankie Edgar previously scheduled to face Max Holloway at UFC 218 in the main event, unfortunately there matchup never came together, as Edgar ended up fracturing his orbital bone in training and had to withdraw from the bout just weeks prior.
Edgar recently spoke with FloCombat about how he wasn’t sure about this bout will re-bound to him and how it felt when things fell apart. Moreover, Edgar is fired up and ready to fulfill his championship goal in the 145-pound standings.
“I have so many reasons why I feel like this is meant to be. I obviously wasn’t thinking that way or being that optimistic when I got my face broken in practice. It felt like the world was crashing in around me, but I’m very happy things all still worked out because it all could have gone a much different way. Despite the things that happened everything pretty much stayed on track and I was able to still get this fight. That’s why I feel like it’s already written. I just have to go in there, follow through and make it happen.
We are eight weeks out right now and that’s perfect,” Edgar said. “I was initially hearing the fight may go down in April, but was happy to hear it is going down in early March. I got the word and said, ‘Let’s go!’ It’s obviously unfortunate how things worked out in the last camp, but I’m going to get there this time and get the job done. Styles make fights and I love this matchup. I’m hearing these people on the internet talking and asking how I’m going to beat him when I lost to [Jose] Aldo. MMA math doesn’t always work that way. I’m confident in my skills and I truly believe I’m still improving with each performance. I think that showed in my last fight because that was one of my strongest performances. I’m ready to go out there and have a defining fight with Holloway and he’s the perfect guy for me.
I’ve been doubted since day one. Before I even started fighting people were doubting me and I love proving them all wrong. Going out there and proving these losers who have never done anything in their lives wrong is almost better the victory itself. B.J. Penn and I have history, but Max is just another opponent, man. He could be from Wyoming for all I care. It doesn’t matter to me. I know he’s a very tough competitor and he’s the champion. He’s been proving his worth as the champion and that’s going to make it all the more better when I go and get that belt from him. If he has questions he’s coming to the right guy for the answers. I’m like Jeopardy: What is…I’m gonna whoop that ass. That’s the answer he’s coming to find.”
Edgar fought only once in 2017 due to the facial injury that pulled him out of UFC 218. He scored a second-round TKO win over Yair Rodriguez in May.
While, Holloway defended his title for the first time, in a rematch with Jose Aldo and won the bout in the third round via TKO. Holloway hasn’t suffered a loss since 2013 when he took on Conor McGregor and currently riding a twelve-fight win-streak.
Edgar has competed twice since his last loss which was at UFC 200 against Jose Aldo for the Interim Featherweight title.
If Edgar can beat Holloway, he’ll join the equals of BJ Penn, Randy Couture, GSP and Conor McGregor are the only fighters to hold UFC titles in two different classes.
Who do you think will manages to win UFC 222?
