Featherweight contender Frankie Edgar and BJ Penn
Former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar was bypassed as a standby in favour of Chad Mendes for a shot at the UFC Featherweight Interim title should champion Jose Aldo be unable to compete in 12 days on July 11. For Edgar this is a frustrating missed opportunity but now that the fallback plan is set, Edgar, 33, will need to consider how long he is willing to sit on the sidelines. If Aldo shows up on fight night what outcome is in Edgar’s best interest?
The obvious answer is an Aldo win. If Aldo defends his crown he’ll gain immense respect for winning despite this injury. McGregor will be sent back to the sharktank against the elite of the division and Edgar will be granted his second crack at featherweight gold. Currently running a four-fight winning streak which includes victories over Charles Oliviera, BJ Penn, Cub Swanson, and most recently Uriah Faber he’s annoyed that UFC brass chose Mendes before him. In an interview on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani he noted Mendes’ current 1-1 streak coming off of an impressive KO of Lamas but only after being defeated by Aldo in their rematch at UFC 179.
Social media is already abuzz chanting about how invalid a McGregor win would be if the Aldo is defeated. This outcry would surely lead to an immediate rematch because the long-reigning champ hasn’t lost in 10 years and you know, he went in with a serious rib injury! If McGregor wins the wait-for-your-shot strategy becomes significantly less appealing when you consider how inactive Aldo has been as a UFC champion. He’s had an average of 2 fights a year since 2011.
The rematch, the chance of Aldo winning the rematch, and then the following wait for when Aldo is ready for a camp create a lot of potential inactivity; If Edgar has a goal of fighting again before the new year it won’t happen with a McGregor win unless he decides to take out another contender.
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