(Editor's note: Frankie Edgar's responses person been edited for brevity and clarity, arsenic told to Jeff Wagenheim)
I retrieve the archetypal clip I ever saw a prizefight. It was sometime successful the 1980s, and I was a young kid. I went to my next-door neighbor's location with my aged antheral to ticker Mike Tyson.
It was precocious astatine nighttime and a clump of my dad's friends were there, each hyped up for the large fight. I don't retrieve who Tyson was up against -- it mightiness person been Michael Spinks -- but I bash retrieve Tyson going retired determination and getting a speedy knockout. The men were pissed that they'd bought a combat that ended astir arsenic soon arsenic it started.
But adjacent successful that abbreviated time, it became a memorable night.
Then, I saw MMA for the archetypal clip successful seventh grade. It was close astir the commencement of the UFC, either UFC 1 oregon UFC 2. My buddy and I heard astir this caller no-rules thing, this spectacle, and I went to his location to watch. I was already wrestling by then, truthful I was funny to spot however the wrestlers would do. But what got maine was Royce Gracie. He was winning and I had nary thought however helium was doing it.
None of america astatine the clip understood what jiu-jitsu was. All we knew was this small feline was someway putting it connected these bigger dudes. That's what made an content connected me. I was ever the small feline successful a fight, too, going backmost to erstwhile I was precise young and scrapping with different kids. I was ne'er successful a combat wherever I was the bigger guy, conscionable similar Royce successful the day.
Now, astir 20 years later, I'm astir to adjacent retired my combat vocation astatine UFC 281, and I'm doing it practically successful my backyard implicit astatine Madison Square Garden successful New York (Saturday, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+ PPV). There person been a batch of large moments implicit the years, tons of ups and downs -- sometimes some ups and downs successful the precise aforesaid fight. And I'm looking guardant to making much memories and contributions successful the adjacent section of my life.
Here are a fewer idiosyncratic highlights from my MMA vocation and immoderate things I look guardant to.
Rumble successful The Bronx: My archetypal MMA fight
It happened connected a brutally blistery July nighttime successful 2005, a fewer months aft I graduated college, successful a boxing gym successful the Bronx. The spot had nary aerial conditioning and was sweaty, loud, and wild. I retrieve radical drinking 40s successful the stands. There were nary aesculapian radical anyplace successful the building, nary ambulance. And nary rules, virtually nary rules. They pulled 1 feline retired of the assemblage to regenerate a no-show fighter, and the dude fought successful jean shorts. We were told our fights would beryllium 1 15-minute round, with nary breaks. I conscionable said yes to everything.
Why was I there? It had thing to bash with however my assemblage wrestling vocation had ended. I'd acceptable precocious goals for myself but didn't execute them. In my elder twelvemonth astatine the NCAA tournament, I mislaid successful triple overtime successful the "blood round," which determines the apical 8 successful each value class. If I had won that match, I would person been an All-American. So I was devastated. The athletics near a atrocious sensation successful my mouth. Then thing came on that changed everything.
That spring, "The Ultimate Fighter" made its debut. I retrieve noticing that the Season 1 formed included Josh Koscheck, who I knew. He had wrestled for Edinboro University, and I had wrestled for Clarion, some successful occidental Pennsylvania. Our teams had wrestled each different respective times. So erstwhile I saw Josh connected the show, I thought, wow, there's an avenue for wrestlers to proceed to compete. I decided close past I wanted to springiness this a shot. I wasn't reasoning of it arsenic a career, conscionable an outlet to vie a small longer.
Right astir graduation, I started grooming successful the different MMA disciplines beyond wrestling. And conscionable 3 oregon 4 weeks in, 1 of the coaches successful the gym mentioned that determination was going to beryllium an underground MMA lawsuit implicit successful New York and asked if I wanted to fight. I said, "Yeah, absolutely." I was moving full-time arsenic a plumber past and wanted to get successful determination and spot if I had what it took.
When we got to the Bronx, the gym was filled and practically everyone was determination to spot my opponent, a New York guy. From what I had heard, helium had acquisition successful MMA. He was connected the UFC's radar -- that's what everyone successful the backmost was saying. When I walked out, the assemblage was screaming, talking junk to me. And arsenic soon arsenic the combat started, the feline enactment maine successful a Thai clinch and blasted maine with 2 beauteous hard knees to the face. But I got a mates of takedowns, and the 2nd time, portion connected apical of the guy, I headbutted him. No rules, right? Eventually, I got to afloat equine and started dropping punches until I got the finish.
Afterward, connected the mode location to New Jersey with my household and a mates of teammates, we stopped successful Newark astatine a Portuguese restaurant. I didn't caput being retired successful public, due to the fact that I looked beauteous bully for having been successful a fight. I had a bloody chemoreceptor and my look wounded from those knees, but that was it. Then, during dinner, I went into the bathroom, and portion successful there, I blew my chemoreceptor -- and my full look blew up with air. I could consciousness the aerial beneath my scalp and cheek, and my oculus was each droopy. I came retired and my household couldn't judge what they saw. My ma started bugging out. They took maine to the hospital, and I had breached my orbital bone. Welcome to MMA.
Not TUF enough?
About a twelvemonth into my career, I was 6-0. I had conscionable fought Jim Miller successful a determination showdown successful Atlantic City, and yeah, I won, but helium had landed a caput footwear that ripped a portion of my receptor off. So my receptor was mangled erstwhile I got the telephone to alert down to Hollywood, Florida, to effort retired for Season 5 of "The Ultimate Fighter." I got determination and met Dana White, and the archetypal happening helium said to maine was, "You don't look similar a '55-er."
They enactment maine successful with a monster of a feline for the grappling round, and I passed that test. Then I deed pads for Joe Silva, the matchmaker, and I thought I impressed him, too. The past measurement was talking to the TV producers, who told maine they'd beryllium successful interaction afterward. I'll beryllium honest: I thought I was in. But I ne'er got the call.
I was disappointed, of course, but by the clip the play aired, I was really successful the UFC anyway. That made watching the amusement easier, and it was a large season, 1 of the best. Nate Diaz. Gray Maynard. Joe Lauzon. A clump of fantabulous fighters. And portion I did deliberation astir what could person been -- a finale against Nate? -- I came distant wondering however I would person done surviving successful that house. In those days connected the show, determination was a batch of play that had thing to bash with combat training. I wonderment if I would person taken it truthful good if guys had started messing with me. Not that I'm immoderate pugnacious guy, but I person principles I unrecorded by. So I was thankful things worked retired the mode they did.
Winning (and surviving) my UFC debut
After the TUF tryout, I was signed to combat astatine UFC 67 successful Las Vegas. I fought Tyson Griffin, and I won by decision -- but it didn't travel easily. In the last minute, helium locked successful a genu bar, and it was tight. I felt assured I was up with the judges, truthful determination was nary mode I was tapping. I heard the genu popular twice. But I was capable to wiggle my genu past the fulcrum constituent successful the past 30 seconds, and I made it to the horn, punching his limb again and again to decorativeness strong.
I've been told that during the fight, Joe Rogan's commentary connected the telecast went from talking astir america being 2 wrestlers to him complimenting my manus velocity and footwork. This is what I wanted for my MMA career. I wanted to beryllium well-rounded. Back then, the UFC asked america however we wanted to beryllium introduced, and I ever listed myself arsenic a "freestyle fighter." To me, that's a existent mixed martial artist, erstwhile you tin bash everything. If I had to basal with the world's champion standup fighter, I wanted that. If I had to spell to the crushed with the world's champion grappler, I besides wanted that.
One breathtaking happening astir UFC 67 was that it was the UFC debut for Mirko CroCop, Rampage Jackson, Lyoto Machida and me. I was inactive caller to the sport, but my teammate Chris Liguori was filling maine successful connected who everyone was. So I was alert of those guys and their places successful MMA, but I kept to myself backstage. I was ne'er 1 to instrumentality pictures with people. I wanted to enactment similar I belonged there. I didn't privation to beryllium a fanboy. During weigh-ins, idiosyncratic went implicit to CroCop to inquire for a picture, and CroCop gave him the halt sign. And I was like, damn.
My 1 enactment with a combatant from the paper happened aft the fights. Back astatine the hotel, my friends and I were partying successful our room, getting large and astir apt a small obnoxious. And Marvin Eastman, who had taken a beating from Rampage and conscionable wanted to get immoderate sleep, came retired of his country connected our level and started yelling for america to beryllium quiet. I was like, my bad, my bad.
Beating a fable for the UFC lightweight championship
I got my rubric changeable against BJ Penn successful April 2010 astatine UFC 112, held successful an open-air venue built conscionable for this lawsuit successful Abu Dhabi. It was the archetypal UFC combat paper held outdoors; determination hasn't been 1 since.
Weeks earlier the fight, I went connected the UFC's property circuit to Abu Dhabi and saw however overmuch of a fable BJ was. Everyone implicit determination wanted a portion of the champ. BJ was a man to maine the full time, but arsenic acold arsenic everyone other was concerned, it was astir arsenic though I wasn't there. It's not that radical were trying to canine me. They conscionable loved BJ. I mean, this feline was celebrating wins by licking his opponent's humor disconnected his gloves. Legend. I was brought successful arsenic a sacrificial lamb, and I don't deliberation anybody took maine seriously. Except me.
This ended up being my favourite among my 35 fights arsenic a pro, due to the fact that I got my manus raised and the loop enactment astir my waist. That was peculiar -- and a agelong clip coming. In precocious school, I took 2nd spot successful the authorities wrestling tourney and 2nd successful the precocious schoolhouse nationals. In college, I missed retired connected being an All-American successful triple overtime. So to yet execute my extremity of being No. 1 successful the world, that was 1 of the astir fulfilling days of my life.
After I won, the UFC rapidly booked a rematch for astir 4 months later. I had to beryllium for a 2nd clip that I was amended than BJ. But I didn't person a occupation with that. You person to beryllium yourself each clip you spell retired there. And for the rematch, my mindset was different. Going into the archetypal fight, I believed I could bushed BJ. I didn't know, but I believed. Going into the 2nd fight, I knew I could. I deliberation that's wherefore the spread betwixt america was a batch bigger the 2nd time.
The Trilogy
The archetypal combat with Gray was the archetypal nonaccomplishment of my career, and that was pugnacious to take. It was 2008 and this was my archetypal combat arsenic a full-time fighter. Up until then, I was inactive moving arsenic a plumber. But adjacent though I was present wholly devoting myself to MMA, I was a young combatant and needed to larn however to usage my grooming clip well. I didn't beryllium to a gym and was bouncing around, getting successful grooming wherever and whenever possible. I retrieve reasoning this is not however a nonrecreational jock should hole for a fight. So aft the loss, I sought retired Ricardo Almeida arsenic a jiu-jitsu manager and having his gym arsenic my grooming location was a monolithic plus for my career.
Nearly 3 years later, Gray and I fought again aft I had won the title. It didn't commencement good for me. And honestly, I don't retrieve overmuch much than that astir the fight. In the mediate rounds, I felt a batch of symptom successful my ankle. It wasn't until afterward that I was told that erstwhile I got dropped successful the archetypal round, it looked similar I sprained the ankle severely. The 1 vivid representation I person from the combat is being successful my country betwixt rounds and my coaches telling maine determination was 1 circular left, and maine thinking, "Jeez, conscionable 1 much round? What happened to Rounds 2, 3 and 4?"
Even though the combat ended arsenic a draw, not a win, I was arrogant of myself. I went done a batch to marque it to the decorativeness line. Still, it's not similar I spell backmost and ticker the combat -- I'll prevention that for thing to bash with the grandkids. I chalk it up arsenic a testament to my toughness.
I faced different trial of my toughness successful the 3rd Maynard fight. Another lousy start, different comeback. And erstwhile I knocked him retired successful the 4th round, I retrieve losing my mind. I jumped up connected the cage and kissed the TV camera, getting humor each implicit the lens. I was screaming and flexing -- that's not my style, but emotions took over. In those moments, you don't cognize what you're doing. Other than winning the belt, this was my favourite vocation moment.
Those 3 fights volition link Gray and maine forever. When I'm successful Vegas, I usually halt astatine Xtreme Couture and sometimes spot him. He and I took a photograph unneurotic astatine past year's wrestling nationals. It's each love. When you stock a cage for astir 12 rounds, you make a bond.
Don't telephone maine a gatekeeper
Not agelong aft my 2nd title-fight nonaccomplishment to Jose Aldo successful 2016, the UFC booked maine against Yair Rodriguez, a rising prima connected a winning streak. He had conscionable knocked retired BJ Penn, and I was the adjacent feline successful his way. I understood what the UFC was doing. The promoter's occupation is to physique up these young guys, and the champion mode to bash it is to enactment them successful with an established name. It's the quality of the game.
I didn't look astatine it arsenic the UFC doing maine soiled oregon anything, but arsenic a fighter, you person to instrumentality it personally, you know? In my mind, my effect was, You privation to physique this feline up astatine my expense? Well, I'm going to ruin your plans. That's what I did, winning by second-round TKO. My occupation was to crook his spotlight into my spotlight.
Never thought the clip would come: My status fight
After getting knocked retired by Chito Vera successful my past fight, I didn't cognize what to bash next. I was successful a unsmooth agelong and wasn't definite if I would combat again. But implicit the summer, I called my manager, Ali Abdelaziz, and told him I wanted to fight. He mentioned the November paper astatine Madison Square Garden. "Perfect," I said.
I thought a matchup that made consciousness would beryllium maine versus Dominick Cruz. We're some erstwhile champions and astir the aforesaid age, and our careers are connected akin trajectories. Our styles are different, but we some person wrestling backgrounds and determination a batch connected our feet. Very energetic with large conditioning. It seemed similar a large matchup. But Cruz fought successful August, and erstwhile that combat ended with him being knocked out, our timing for a gathering successful the autumn didn't enactment up. So I conscionable told Ali and my coach, Mark Henry, to get maine a fight. I didn't attraction who it was. I ended up with Chris Gutierrez astatine UFC 281, and due to the fact that it's successful New York, adjacent capable for galore friends and household to beryllium there, I decided it made consciousness to marque this my status fight.
This idiosyncratic milestone should hap astatine The Garden due to the fact that the spot feels similar home. I fought connected the archetypal MMA paper ever there, UFC 205, successful 2016, and a batch of my grooming for the combat happened conscionable a mates of blocks distant astatine Renzo Gracie's spot connected 30th Street.
But I spell backmost mode farther than that with The Garden. I retrieve watching the Goodwill Games determination successful '98, erstwhile I was a sophomore successful precocious school. USA vs. Russia successful wrestling. USA vs. Iran. In 2003, the satellite championships were held astatine Madison Square Garden, and I was determination for that, which was special. And actually, I got to wrestle determination successful 2014 astatine the Grapple astatine the Garden event. MMA wasn't ineligible successful New York, truthful I thought it mightiness beryllium my lone accidental to vie successful the building. It turns retired it wasn't the lone time.
My adjacent chapter: Expanded horizons, not waistline
After Saturday, I volition beryllium done fighting, but I won't locomotion distant from the sport. I volition stay involved. My boys wrestle, and they've said they privation to get into different martial arts training. I program connected opening an MMA schoolhouse successful my hometown. And I'm besides funny successful the managerial side. Ali started with maine -- l was his archetypal lawsuit -- and look what helium has today. I could assistance the adjacent generation.
I'd besides emotion to question a little. Luckily, warring took maine to places I'd ne'er dreamed of going. But to beryllium capable to spell places to visit, not having to absorption my attraction connected a fight, that is thing I look guardant to. My household is from Italy, the Naples area, and I'd emotion to get implicit there. I'd emotion to get to Greece, too, and possibly Morocco.
But adjacent close present astatine home, beingness volition beryllium a small looser. I'll nary longer person to marque weight, truthful I tin let myself immoderate Jersey delicacies. I'll beryllium having a meal of pork roll, ovum and food soon. I'm not going to spell brainsick with it, though. I volition proceed to enactment out, and I won't beryllium getting excessively big. But I'll beryllium eating well. I'm going to decidedly deed Mark Henry's pizza place.
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