This weekend former UFC lightweight champion, and featherweight contender, Frankie Edgar became one of only 11 fighters to pick up wins through three weight divisions within the octagon, after he beat Pedro Munhoz in his bantamweight debut.
The Answer won by decision and has announced his arrival into the division in a pretty big way. Munhoz is #5 in the official bantamweight rankings and many expected him to run through Edgar. Sitting on two straight losses and at 38 years old, many were speculating retirement was closing in on Edgar and we would soon see his illustrious career brought to an end.
It seems the Jersey-born fighter had other ideas, however, and Edgar put on a fantastic performance, beating Munhoz after five gruelling rounds to mark his arrival in the 135lb division with an impressive win.
One thing many have said about the 38-year-old is he should have been fighting at bantamweight a long time ago. Frankie is a naturally smaller fighter and has been fighting men bigger than him his entire career, he finally has the chance to fight opponents of a similar stature and it's started off pretty well.
One question mark about Edgar's move to 135lbs was would he lose his speed advantage? The former lightweight champion has forged a career out of being faster than his opponents, his lightning-quick combos and electric footwork are what helped him reach the top of the mountain, but would he have the same success facing smaller fighters who are just as fast, if not faster than him.
Well, Edgar quickly erased any doubt raised before the fight, he lit Munhoz up with numerous combos and was relentless with his striking. Yes, Munhoz probably landed the better, more significant strikes, but Edgar was faster and his speed is what ensured he left his bantamweight debut with the W.
Munhoz is no easy ride, with a knockout win over former champion Cody Garbrandt, the 33-year-old had only lost four times heading into his fight with Edgar, so it can't be understated just how impressive the win was.
Frankie hasn't just stopped a two-fight losing streak, he's found a new home and could have breathed new life into a career that was nearing its conclusion. If Edgar is going to reach the top of the mountain once again, it will be as a bantamweight.
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