Yves Edwards Talks UFC Lightweight Division, Then and Now

Yves Edwards wants to establish himself as a contender.

Yves Edwards has gone 2-0 in his UFC return and looks to establish himself as a contender in the stacked lightweight division, but the landscape is different than it was when he was on top in 2005.

“I got to the UFC the first time around and the division wasn’t stacked at all. We had like six guys in the division, and basically there were three of us, me, Hermes Franca and Josh Thomson,” said Edwards.

“I want to establish myself as a mainstay, as a contender,” he told Tapout Radio. “It’s the most cut-throat division right now. It’s the biggest division. Everybody is trying to keep their jobs.”

The lightweight division has been the most competitive weight class for some time, and Edwards doesn’t feel anyone stands “head and shoulders” above the rest.

“There’s not a single guy that stands head and shoulders above everybody else. There are guys that definitely stand out. Melvin Guillard stands out because he’s explosive and powerful and fast. A guy like Frankie Edgar stands out because he has a high pace, you know, so does Clay Guida. A guy like Gray Maynard stands out because he’s so powerful and constantly improving. Everybody has their reasons for why they stand out, but nobody stands head and shoulders above anybody else,” said Edwards.

“Most of the people in the world weigh what we weigh, you know, so it’s going to be the most competition,” he added. “It’s going to be really, really tough, but from top to bottom I think there are sixty-plus guys on the roster. I think, like, fifty five of those guys are beasts , but everybody is not going to be able stick around. It’s going to be entertaining for you guys and it’s going to be a little bit stressful for us.”

Edwards has been there before and seeks to be a contender again.

“I’m trying to come back up that ladder, so I’m just going to keep plugging away and do whatever I can to get back to the top.”

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