5 Things You Might Not Know About Frankie Edgar

One of the most respected and accomplished competitors in Ultimate Fighting Championship history, former lightweight titleholder Frankie Edgar has for years been a picture of excellence in the lower weight classes. In his quest to become a two-division champion, Edgar will meet Brian Ortega in a title eliminator at 145 pounds at UFC 222 this Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Ahead of Edgar’s co-main event clash with Ortega, here are five things you might not know about him:

1. He appeared in seven consecutive title fights.

From 2010 to 2013, Edgar only fought when a championship was on the line. In those seven appearances, he fought B.J. Penn twice, Gray Maynard twice, Benson Henderson twice and Jose Aldo once. Edgar’s failed bid to unseat Aldo as featherweight champion at UFC 156 ended his remarkable run on Feb. 2, 2013. Six of the seven bouts went the full 25 minutes.

2. Rematches with four different fighters dot his resume.

Nobody knows the rematch any better than Edgar, who has engaged in a number of rivalries during his career. He has faced four different fighters on more than one occasion, including trilogies with Penn and Maynard. In addition to those battles, Edgar also met Henderson and Aldo twice. He owns a 3-2-1 record in rematches.

3. He was a regional champion before making the jump to the UFC.

Prior to his arrival in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Edgar won a regional title during his brief stint in the Reality Fighting organization. He squared off with fellow future UFC veteran Jim Miller at Reality Fighting 14 on Nov. 18, 2006 and captured the lightweight championship with a unanimous decision. The win helped launch Edgar’s career, as he made his Octagon debut against Tyson Griffin at UFC 67 less than three months later.

4. His efforts have resulted in seven ‘Fight of the Night’ bonuses.

Edgar is one of the most decorated fighters of all-time, and he has the bank account to back it up. “The Answer” almost always gives the fans their money’s worth, as evidenced by his seven “Fight of the Night” bonuses. Somewhat surprisingly, Edgar has not received a FOTN bonus since he beat Charles Oliveira at UFC 162 in 2013.

5. He stuffs the stat sheet.

A part of the UFC for more than a decade, Edgar’s success can also be seen through a statistical lens. According to FightMetric, he ranks third all-time among featherweights in takedowns (25), third in significant strike defense (68.3), fourth in strike differential (1.73), fourth in strikes absorbed per minute (2.17), fifth in total strikes landed (921) and sixth in significant strikes landed (611).