Despite some brief lobbying Frankie Edgar didn’t get a booking with UFC bantamweight champ Henry Cejudo, but “The Answer” admits it might have worked out for the best.
“I’m not too concerned, really,” Edgar told MMA Junkie. “I threw my name in it. I really haven’t been able to train much because this is going on, so it’s probably for the best that it didn’t go my way.
“Dominick Cruz, he’s done a lot. He’s probably the most dominant bantamweight to date in the UFC. What he’s done in his career, I don’t see any problem with him getting a title shot. I know some other guys probably wish it was them, but in the circumstances, I wonder how many people really would take that fight anyway.”
The circumstances, of course, refer to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that is affecting every aspect of life across the globe. Jose Aldo was expected to challenge Cejudo for the title on May 9, but travel restrictions have made it impossible for the Brazilian to make his way to the U.S., and UFC officials ultimately elected to give Cruz the shot despite his extended layoff due to injuries.
Edgar’s name was briefly in the mix despite him previously saying he didn’t want to compete until later in the year. The former UFC lightweight champ admits it would have been tough for him to prepare for such a fight, especially since he lives in New Jersey, which has been among the hardest-hit regions of the country. Still, when gold is on the line, Edgar said it’s impossible to not at least give it some consideration – even if it means inviting yourself into a little war of words with the “King of Cringe.”
“Whenever there’s a title fight on the line, you’ve got to put yourself out there, and that’s what I did,” Edgar said. “I didn’t know how realistic it was to get that and whatnot. Henry likes to sit there and play games and do all that stuff; I’m not that guy. I said what I had to say to put my name in the mix, but I’m not going to sit there and have a Twitter battle with this guy.
“I can play the game a little bit, too, but I’m not going to stay and go back and forth. I may smack him in person or something more so.”
So for now, Edgar said he’s content to remain in quarantine, doing his best to get prepared for a fight later this year. June still seems like an ideal time, he says, and perhaps a matchup with top bantamweight contender Aljamain Sterling.
“Aljamain’s been saying nobody wants to fight him or this and that,” Edgar said. “That’s the guy we were supposed to fight on this past card in November. That was a possibility, and it never came about. I believe he had to get surgery. So, that would make sense for me – come back and fight Aljamain in June. I don’t know what his plans are or what he has lined up, but someone along that line I think would be ideal.”
With the plan to make his bantamweight debut, Edgar said he definitely would appreciate plenty of notice, giving him time to both train properly and focus on his diet while trimming down to 136 pounds.
However, Edgar also admits he’ll be willing to pick up the phone if the UFC calls, much like he did in December, when he traveled to South Korea to face Chan Sung Jung on short notice. It didn’t work out for him, but Edgar says he’s always up for a challenge.
“If an opportunity comes up and it’s right, I’ll make some sacrifices to do so, but yeah, I do definitely need some time,” Edgar said. “I would like to do it the right way. Last fight, I kind of did it on two-weeks’ notice, went across to someone’s different country. I stacked the cards against myself. I don’t want to stack the cards against myself too much.
“It’s tough enough to fight these guys as it is, so I would like to prepare the right way, have a good weight cut and all that stuff, ideally. But again, I don’t say no very often, so we’ll see.”
To hear the full interview with Edgar, check out the video below.
