Each fighter needs to say that they walked away on a win. That they knew simply when to hold up their gloves and that they ended their profession solely on their very own phrases. Actuality is never ever so variety.
Sadly for Frankie Edgar, that’s a lesson he realized full nicely this previous Saturday evening at UFC 281 on the PPV fundamental card. Arrange in opposition to surging bantamweight Chris Gutierrez, Edgar discovered himself on the unsuitable finish of his third-straight knockout loss—simply two minutes into the primary spherical. After the bout, even Gutierrez appeared a bit damaged up by what he’d simply carried out to the previous light-weight champion.
For his half, Edgar took a while to mirror on his newest defeat and what—a minimum of for now—seems to be the tip of his profession as a combined martial arts fighter.
“Clearly, (I’m) heartbroken,” Edgar mentioned on a current episode of ‘The Champ and the Tramp’ podcast (transcript by way of MMA Junkie). “That’s not the way in which I needed it to go, however that’s the way in which it goes. I had an incredible week, superior week on the market. It was unimaginable, the love I bought from everyone. The UFC gave me love, the little video that they did. From my friends, my friends are a very powerful. … I used to be zooming within the again. I felt like I used to be on within the again. I am going on the market and increase. Clearly, you noticed it. All people noticed it.”
“It f-cking sucks however how can I complain, to be sincere?” Edgar added. “Folks have been cheering my identify the entire time earlier than, throughout, after. I labored onerous to get the place I bought, like f-cking onerous, very onerous. I sacrificed quite a bit in my life. I put my all into my athletic profession since Day 1, however who am I to complain? There are individuals on the market who work onerous they usually simply make it by. I do know each side of that. I’m simply attempting to be pleased about what I achieved, for the trip I had.”
Edgar received his first bid for UFC gold all the way in which again in 2010, with a call victory over BJ Penn. Over the following decade the ‘Reply’ would compete for some type of a UFC title eight extra occasions, together with his pair of legendary fights in opposition to Grey Maynard. If this really is the tip of the road for the 41-year-old, he’s put collectively a outstanding profession throughout three divisions contained in the Octagon.
