LAS VEGAS – Frankie Edgar still is intending on dropping down to 135 pounds.
Edgar (23-8-1 MMA, 17-8-1 UFC) delayed his bantamweight debut when he stepped in on short notice to face Chan Sung Jung in a featherweight bout this past December.
He was stopped in the first round for his third loss in his past four fights. Edgar was supposed to fight Cory Sandhagen in January, and due to the damage he sustained against Jung, he wasn’t able to make the quick turnaround.
The Sandhagen rebooking could be a possibility, but Edgar isn’t holding on to that fight specifically. He just wants to face a ranked opponent.
“I have no idea (who’s next), honestly,” Edgar told MMA Junkie this past Saturday at a media day for Dominance MMA in Las Vegas. “I’m down with anybody in the top five (or) 10, so whatever they come up with. I’m not really one to pick guys unless they’re the champion.”
A former UFC champion at 155 pounds, Edgar failed to capture the featherweight title on three different occasions. Now he will be competing in his third weight class and is hoping to return to action by summer.
“I’m going to obviously fight at 135 like I was originally planning to do and try to get in there in June,” Edgar said. “I think (my manager) Ali (Abdelaziz) will probably start talking some opponents with the UFC soon.”
The bantamweight division is as competitive as it’s ever been with new prospects like Sandhagen, Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling – fresh faces Edgar is looking forward to challenging himself against.
“It’s exciting,” Edgar said. “This might be the new, hot division right now and I can insert myself in this and get some more motivation, I guess – some goals, some guys that are scary to prepare for.”
