The Fight Nerd took a tour with Igor Gracie of the Renzo Gracie Academy in Manhattan, NY, taking a look at the three floors that make up this amazing facility located at 224 west 30th Street where fighters like Georges St Pierre, Frankie Edgar, and Eddie Alvarez come to train.
Fight Nerd correspondent Michael Stets caught up with former UFC lightweight champ Frankie Edgar at the MMA World Expo 2013 to discuss his recent loss against Jose Aldo at UFC 156, and how it feels to have had seven title fights back to back. We also discuss how he feels about being in the featherweight division and if he will stay there, thoughts on Anthony Pettis getting a title shot next, and why so many lightweights are moving down to featherweight, and more!
Please excuse the audio, we had some mic troubles at the event.
Halloween is not even here yet, but the holiday shopping season has already begun. At this site, we are keeping our eyes peeled year round for products our fans might like or should avoid, and as the end of the year approaches, expect to see a lot more of these to make your lives a lot easier when it comes to buying stuff. It’s only fair that we kick things off with a very big product that has been hyped up for a few months now!
Last year, we praised the UFC Ultimate Fight Collection 2011 Edition DVD set, which put every UFC event from JUly 2010- July 2011 on 20 discs, all in one convenient and uniquely-shaped boxed set. Previously, the set was released in early December, but this year, this set is coming out a month early to get into your hands (and gift boxes) for the upcoming holiday season.
Once again, holding a whopping 20 discs, this set (released by Anchor Bay) contains every event from July 2011 to June 2012, including several that have not been released on DVD before from their Fox, FX, and Fuel telecasts (and probably never will be released anywhere else again). However, this year, things have changed a little from their previous release. Does this new set hold up as strong as the 2011 edition, or will serious UFC fans be disappointed by this set?
Hit the jump for the full review!
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It’s time again for another Frankie Edgar rematch. Sadly, there are no “Japanimation” promos for this event but the action in the cage should compensate. Six months after their initial battle, Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar will fight again for the UFC lightweight championship. The first bout was closer than the unanimous decision win by Henderson may indicate. This time around, it shouldn’t be much different.
Edgar has shown tremendous skill and miraculous comeback ability. Henderson has been a human highlight reel for years now. Each fighter has the ability to defeat the other. While Edgar has stated that the championship brings much more exposure and duties, he doesn’t expect that to hinder Henderson. Edgar now has had 6 months away from the primary spotlight which has allowed him to concentrate on his training and avoid distractions.
There is no doubt that both men will be well prepared. Both fighters know what each other is capable of, their first match lasted 25 minutes. This contest has a high possibility of going the distance as well. Fans can expect a very evenly-matched fight that could go back-and-forth. There is no clear favorite, either man can emerge victorious.
The co-main event features former teammates (at the Jackson-Winklejohn Gym) Melvin Guillard and Don Cerrone clashing, each attempting to become one step closer to a title shot. Cerrone has been electrifying since his UFC debut. His only setback since entering the promotion was in December 2011 at the hands of Nate Diaz. Guillard has been the UFC’s version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. At times, Guillard appears to be one of the most talented, explosive lightweights in the world. Other times, he has appeared completely unprepared and lacking focus. Since a setback earlier in his career, partially attributed to alleged cocaine use, Guillard has seemingly put all of the negativity behind him and found his passion for competition once again.
Guillard now trains in Florida with the Blackzilians, Cerrone remains in New Mexico with Greg Jackson. This fight has the potential to be a stand up war, as each participant is prolific in their striking. The way the fight may play out could be much different. Guillard’s most glaring weakness is his submission defense, an area that Cerrone and Jackson will likely attempt to exploit. Guillard’s training with Jackson may be detrimental to him as far as strategy is concerned. Jackson obviously knows Guillard very well and Jackson is a master at game-planning. The past history between the two may play to Cerrone’s favor but the Blackzilians will undoubtedly have a strategy to counter any preconceived notions the Jackson camp may have regarding Guillard’s abilities. Expect the unexpected in this match.
Here is a very simple drill, as shown by former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, on how to effectively slip a jab. It’s all about the fundamentals when you get to the highest level, and Frankie is arguably one of the best defensive boxers in MMA right now, so give this a try with a partner next time you are in class.
This technique was filmed at the Paradise Warrior Retreat in NYC.
Here is another technique we filmed at the 2012 NYC Paradise Warrior Retreat, this time featuring former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar.
In this video, Frankie shows you how to defend a takedown with a sprawl, and how to follow up with it to gain back control in the most efficient way possible. It’s all about the details with this one, as many people know a similar technique like this, but few execute the way Frankie does. Try it out next time you get shot on!
Don’t forget to enter our contest to win a copy of Randy Couture’s new movie, “Hijacked”!
Last night in an interview with Spike TV sports show MMA Uncensored Live, former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar went from categorically denying any chance of him dropping to featherweight to acknowledging the cut as something that will happen on his own terms. After a close decision loss of his title to Benson Henderson, Edgar, being one of the smaller fighters at lightweight, was publicly nudged by several members of the MMA community, including UFC president Dana White, to drop down to featherweight. Through it all, Edgar met the suggestion with vitriolic riposte as he campaigned for a rematch against Henderson. Now that the Edgar versus Henderson 2 has been confirmed, Edgar softened greatly to the idea.
“I’ve got nothing against 145,” Edgar told MMA Uncensored Live. “Will I make it there one day? Probably…. You know? That’s the truth. But, I just don’t want to go out on these terms. I felt like the fight was too close for me to just be like, ‘Alright, I’m going down to 45,’ you know?”
For the majority of his career with the UFC, Edgar’s ‘no weight cutting’ approach to the lightweight division has been a signature part of his style. Edgar has compensated for reach and size disadvantage by darting in and out of the pocket at a pace that few athletes coming out of a big weight cut could keep up with. While a drop from a 157 pound walk-around weight to a 145 pound weigh-in is still considered a walk in the park by UFC weight cut standards and nothing Edgar didn’t manage during his wrestling career, the fact remains that there is some curiosity floating around MMA as to whether Edgar will be the same fighter if he has to sweat out a few pounds.
For the time being, Edgar is still competing for the lightweight title against an opponent who he very recently made sing for his supper. The cut to featherweight will likely not be a concern for the near future.
Photo: Esther Lin/MMA Fighting
After much internal debate within the organization, UFC president Dana White has finally announced that former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar will get the immediate rematch for his title that he has been campaigning for. Last night, the UFC president tweeted that Edgar will be fighting the man who recently dethroned him, Benson Henderson, some time this summer. White has yet to elaborate further on the details.
Two weeks ago, the first bout between Edgar and Henderson headlined the world’s largest MMA organization’s triumphant return to Japan. Henderson ultimately won a hard-fought decision that sparked some controversy among fans, as most high profile fights that end in close calls do. Afterwards, White admitted that he had the fight scored for Edgar, whereas UFC matchmaker Joe Silva agreed with the final judges’ decision. In the case of Edgar’s last two fights, such close bouts were met with immediate rematches. However, a stunning win by Anthony Pettis over Joe Lauzon earlier on the same card seemed to make the former WEC champion the next in line.
Before the week was out, Edgar went on a press tour campaigning for the same immediate rematch that was afforded to his last two opponents, knowing that the UFC brass was seriously considering Pettis over him. While the announcement by White marks a victory for Edgar and his fan base, it is also the second time in his short career with the UFC that Pettis will be forced to take a back seat after appearing to be the clear number one contender.
Henderson appeared with his Korean mother, who he credits with being his inspiration for working so hard, as she raised himself and his brother alone as a single mother. Joe Rogan was reduced to tears during the post fighter walk out, as Benson went immediately to greet his mother, who gave a candid interview about their hardships going up during the “UFC Countdown” show. Frankie Edgar is currently campaigning for an immediate rematch, citing his amount of title defeces, and having to do two previous rematches. UFC President Dana White has announced that Anothony Pettis is next in line for a shot at Henderson, following his kickout victory over Joe Lauzon, however nothing has been officially scheduled
[Via TheUG]
Photo: Esther Lin/MMA Fighting
In an interview with Ariel Helwani today on MMA Fighting podcast “The MMA Hour,” recently dethroned UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar continued his campaign for an immediate rematch against current champion Benson Henderson. Last Saturday night, Henderson came out on the winning end of a decision against Edgar that sparked some controversy. While a spectacular knockout win earlier in the card by Anthony Pettis, the only man in the last five years to defeat Henderson, seemed to put him as the clear next in line, Edgar has been vocal all week that precedent in his own career should afford him another shot at the belt.
“The rematch makes sense on several levels,” Edgar told Helwani. “The UFC could be the good guys, here. I feel I deserved [the rematch]. Economically they’ve been investing in me. I’ve been at the helm of this weight class for two years.”
The most common point that Edgar has used in his case for an immediate rematch with Henderson is that, in his last four fights, he was forced to double up on opponents after close decisions. First, after winning the title from B.J. Penn, Edgar was forced to fight the UFC legend again because the fans were not convinced that Edgar’s win was definitive. Next, after a hard-fought draw against Gray Maynard, Edgar had to give another immediate rematch. Coincidentally, the Maynard versus Edgar trilogy forced Pettis, who was also viewed as next in line at that point, to take a step back.
Edgar repeatedly made the point that he means no disrespect to Benson Henderson, who he felt “fought a great fight.” But he simply feels that he’s earned a chance to get his belt back.
More on Edgar’s feelings on the possible rematch and his refusal to drop to featherweight after the jump. (more…)
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