Under the Microscope: Analyzing Lightweight Greats

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Frankie Edgar

* LIGHTWEIGHT RECORD: 9-3-1 (.730)
* OPPONENT WINNING PERCENTAGE: .716
* LONGEST WINNING STREAK: 9
* RECORD IN MAJOR LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE FIGHTS: 3-2-1
* FINISH PERCENTAGE: 33
* FINISHED PERCENTAGE: 0
* NOTABLE VICTORIES: B.J. Penn (twice), Gray Maynard, Sean Sherk, Spencer Fisher, Tyson Griffin
* CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Former UFC lightweight champion; three successful title defenses; eight “Performance of the Night” UFC bonuses

CASE FOR: Edgar just may be the toughest fighter in the UFC. “The Answer” has a handful of back-from-the-brink victories to match his never-been-finished record, and he has done so against elite-level opponents for the bulk of his career. In particular, he is the only lightweight to hold two wins over Penn as notches on his championship belt, one of which is the most decisive victory against “The Prodigy” in lightweight division history. That Edgar has exacted revenge against one of the two lightweights that beat him -- and arguably both of them -- his name belongs on the list of the best ever.

CASE AGAINST: First and foremost, his tie for the lightweight title record comes with an asterisk, since one of his three defenses came by way of a draw. Consequently, he only beat two different men as a champion, which does not stack up well against other UFC champs who defended their belt from several different fighters. While his two wins against Penn are certainly noteworthy, they are similarly mirrored by his two losses to Benson Henderson; one was close and controversial, the other more apparent. Henderson is an excellent fighter in his own right, but it is hard to place Edgar above Penn on the all-time list when both men have lost to the same person twice in similar ways; plus, Penn has a significantly greater finishing rate. Edgar is currently a top-tier featherweight, but if he ever decides to make another run at the 155-pound strap, he will do so with his legacy as one of the greatest lightweight fighters ever on the line.

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