One of the top contenders in the 145 pound division for the last couple of years, Frankie Edgar will look to bounce back from his recent setback to Jose Aldo when he takes on hard hitting Jeremy Stephens at UFC 205.
Edgar last fought back in July when he dropped a unanimous decision to Jose Aldo at UFC 200, losing out on an opportunity to grab the interim title. Now looking to get back in the featherweight picture, he has put the loss behind him.
“It was his night and it wasn’t my one of my best performances but I went back to the drawing board and worked on what needed to be fixed. I feel great, there’s no such thing as a rebound and I take every fight as the most important fight of my career and I’m looking forward to it.”
He will realize a dream on November 12th when he fights very close to home in New York City in arguably the biggest card in UFC history. His fight versus Stephens will be the featured prelim, barely missing out on the big PPV main card.
“It is what it is,” Edgar said on fighting on the prelims. “I’m glad to be on this card fighting in my backyard. I’m game with whatever the UFC offers me.”
Having previously tallied 5 straight wins including a first round knockout of former title challenger Chad Mendes, Edgar was hoping for a title fight and a shot at the “Notorious” one. With McGregor’s pursuits in other divisions, Edgar was left with an interim title fight versus former champion Jose Aldo in a previous loss he was looking to avenge. He fell short and now finds himself fighting a new rising contender in Stephens. Despite the power punching threat that Stephens offers, he feels ready to take on the challenge.
“He’s a good fighter and he’s been around for a long time,” Edgar said on Stephens. “He’s a big guy coming down from 155 but I was once the 155lb champ and I’ve fought guys like him in the past.”
When asked about a potential move down to bantamweight, Edgar didn’t rule it out but is very much focused on climbing back the 145 pound ladder. Many fans are disappointed that he missed out on the chance to headline UFC 205 vs. McGregor but he has shifted his focus and instead will be watching his teammate, lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez defend his belt versus Conor in the main event.
“I moved on. Now he gets to fight Eddie and Eddie will take care of business. You never know what the future holds but right now I’m focused on 145lb division.”
He will share the grand stage with teammate Eddie Alvarez which has finally put the much deserved spotlight on their gym. Training with the likes of Nick Catone, Ricardo Almeida and boxing coach Mark Henry, the gym will be well represented come November 12th.
“This camp has been great and our gym has been great for a long time,” Edgar said on the recent recognition. “It’s nice that some of the coaches like Ricardo Almeida and Mark Henry are getting the recognition they deserve.”
With former middleweight champion Chris Weidman also getting some work in with Mark Henry, expect a full display and representation of New Jersey and New York’s finest talent. The historic card will feature 3 championship fights with the lightweight, welterweight and strawweight titles on the line and despite not challenging for the belt, Edgar will look to create his moment in New York City.
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