Frankie Edgar has been a perpetual leader of skill and toughness in mixed martial arts. He has had memorable wars and fights with all-time great legends. However, in recent years, Edgar has begun to slow down. His wins are no longer dominating technical marvels, but proof of his enduring workmanship. I’m curious as to whether this is a technical plateau or just age.
In this article, I’m going to discuss what has made Edgar so successful, but also highlight his flaws. I’m going to ask whether Edgar has plateaued stylistically or if the rest of the division has finally caught up with him. Without a doubt Edgar is a legend, however, time is the perpetual enemy to the athlete.
Frankie Edgar Striking Analysis
Humble Beginnings
Edgar made his UFC debut in 2007. He was a standout wrestler with a good chin and great cardio. However, at the time the UFC didn’t have a featherweight or bantamweight division. Therefore, Edgar was forced to face and develop a style to fight the bigger man.
Against Mark Bocek, Edgar showed that by moving his feet and slightly moving his head, he could easily get inside and land combinations.
However, in his first loss ever to Gray Maynard, Edgar would show that he was still developing his overall game.
The Answer to a Different Era
In Edgar’s next few fights, he would start to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Against Hermes Franca, he stopped shooting out in the open and would settle for takedowns whenever he felt Franca commit to a strike or kick.
Against, Sean Sherk, Edgar put together the aspects of his game and became the wrestle-boxer he is today. What gave him the ability to do so was his footwork. Moving either left or right, Edgar constantly does so with good fundamentals. Moving left he goes left foot first then right foot and the opposite if he wants to move right. By doing so, he is constantly in his stance, ready to feint, strike, or take his man down.
The Trilogies
With his style established, Edgar would begin his march to the top and cement his place as a legend. It all started with starting and completing a trilogy with BJ Penn and Gray Maynard, respectively.
At the time Edgar fought Penn, Penn had already established himself as a legend with decent boxing, but truly amazing jiu-jitsu, especially for MMA. However, Edgar would take him apart in classic Edgar fashion.
Their rematch would be much of the same as the first. BJ would come out far more aggressively, however, he would exhaust himself once again. This time the takedowns came easier for Edgar as BJ would step himself into them.
The pair would have a third fight, however, it Penn came out in a bizarre, tall thai stance, and would get mauled harder than the previous two. The other trilogy of importance was the legend-making Maynard fights.
Maynard Trilogy
The second Maynard fight solidified Edgar’s heart and toughness as he was dropped multiple times in the first round.
However, Edgar would go on to show that his improvements could slow down and trouble the hard-punching Maynard.
The fight would be scored a draw and the pair would finish their trilogy, with Edgar winning by knockout. Their second fight would start the same way, however, Maynard’s desire to stand in range and look to club Edgar on his entries would be undoing.
After this fight, Edgar would be soundly outsized by Benson Henderson, and would move down to a more size-appropriate weight class – featherweight. However, it is here that Edgar would meet a style that showed his flaws.
The Problem With the Blitz
In his first fight at featherweight, Edgar was given Jose Aldo, the reigning champion. In this fight, Aldo would come to show everyone how to confuse and dismantle the “Answer”.
After this fight, Edgar would continue to run through his opponents, however, he would rely more on his wrestling to get to it done. It would be second Aldo fight, that would once again show that Edgar’s style has remained the same.
While most opponents couldn’t capitalize, these two fights would be the blueprint to give Edgar trouble.
The plateau or age?
Edgar’s last two fights have shown that he has plateaued. Against Brian Ortega, Ortega did exactly what Aldo did, jab, give space, and pivot out.
Once again, Edgar lacked the ability to stay in the pocket or fire from mid-range. This leads him to charge in and was promptly stopped for the first time.
Against Cub Swanson, who no longer had the speed he did before, Edgar was still troubled in some parts of their second fight.
Conclusion
Did Edgar plateau or age? The answer is sadly a little bit of both. Edgar’s style has remained relatively the same since his fight against Maynard and Penn. While he has added some kicks to act as a variation between his circling, the principle remains the same.
Edgar will be fighting Max Holloway at UFC 240 and against a fighter that has a lovely jab and great footwork this will be a tough ask. The division has begun to catch up, fighters are pumping jabs and pivoting. Edgar can’t take the same shots he did before, and he is unlikely to overhaul his style.
While I adore Edgar’s style and legacy, going into UFC 240, Holloway is the worst style that Edgar could be fighting against. However, Edgar has proven to be tough as nails, but possibly this time, he has plateaued and aged.
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