Frank Edgar Still Fighting to Shut Everybody Up... and Everybody Does, In Fact, Need to Shut Up

Frank Edgar is unquestionably and undoubtedly the number one Lightweight Mixed Martial Artist in the world. Some people still have trouble accepting this, some even outright reject it. A contingent of fight fans have even took it upon themselves to react to the upcoming UFC 125: “Retribution” main event, which features Frank Edgar defending his UFC Lightweight Championship against Gray Maynard, the only man that’s ever beaten him, with outright disdain. But this type of hostility is nothing new to “The Answer” and in a recent interview, the UFC’s premiere Lightweight stated that he’s once again looking forward to shutting everybody up. Here are the highlights.

In an exclusive interview with Tapology, Edgar recently said the following in regards to the criticism he’s had to deal with ever since emerging as a top-division Lightweight: “We’re all going to find out whether or not I can beat Maynard on January 1st, so hopefully that will shut everybody up… He gets a lot of flack for not being the most entertaining guy, but that’s not what it’s about. He wins… I do hear [the critics]. I’m not really a computer guy, but I do hear it. I do think I’m an exciting fighter, though… It’s just the fans and the media. You hear dominant wrestlers getting a lot of flack.”

I think Edgar is preaching to the choir… I’ve been a strong supporter of both him and Jon Fitch for quite some time now. Frank Edgar made a firm believer out of me in his second fight with BJ Penn, so I just don’t understand why people still think he has something to prove. Make no mistake, fans and friends; I do think that some of the flack wrestling-based Mixed Martial Artists get is justified. I hate “lay and pray”, I hate “wall and stall”, and I positively, absolutely loathe wrestlers who constantly shoot for takedowns and do nothing with them.

But Frank Edgar isn’t the type of fighter that does that, and it’s unfair that so many people are still grouping him in that category. I’ve followed Frankie for some time, and I’ve never once felt like he’s been inactive on the ground. He does go to the ground a whole heck of a lot, but he’s always hunting for something or doing damage. When it goes to the ground, Frank Edgar wants to mount you, he wants to punch your face in, he wants to put you in the most disadvantageous position possible and score as many points as he can, and even finish you outright if that’s possible. Edgar is willing to fight tooth-and-nail for every takedown and he’s just as willing to get into a prolonged battle once the fight ends up on the ground. And it both saddens and frustrates me that so many people don’t give him the kind of respect that type of wrestling-based style deserves.

A boring fight is a boring fight no matter if it’s fought on the ground or on the feet. But Frank Edgar doesn’t compete in boring fights. He may have narrowly beat out BJ Penn the first time (even I had my doubts), but the second time around he made it look easy and handed Penn arguably the most embarrassing loss of BJ’s entire career. Edgar fought for and won my respect way before he ever fought for and won top-division status. His two victories over Penn simply sealed the deal and made me an outright fan of the man. It seems like I’m one of the rare ones both in the media and the general fanbase that can’t wait to see Edgar face Maynard. And I’ve got to tell you, fans and friends… it shouldn’t be that way.

But of course, that’s my opinion. What about you? What are your thoughts on Frank Edgar and his recent comments?