Frankie Edgar reflected on his career-defining victory over BJ Penn to capture the UFC lightweight championship. He still remembers the moment fondly after pulling off a massive upset against one of the sport’s best fighters.
Edgar challenged Penn for the lightweight championship at UFC 112. At the time, ‘The Prodigy’ was considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. He had already become a two-division champion.
The Hawaiian star was fearless and competing as high as light heavyweight outside the UFC. Although he lost fights at welterweight, Penn was far more dangerous at 155 pounds. He finished nearly every opponent he faced at lightweight, giving Edgar a difficult task to in his attempt to dethrone him.
Frankie Edgar Reflects on Beating Prime BJ Penn
When Frankie Edgar challenged BJ Penn at UFC 112, he was a young lightweight contender with a respectable 13-1 MMA record. He entered the lightweight title fight on a three-fight winning streak that included a victory over former champion Sean Sherk.
Edgar shocked the MMA world when he earned a unanimous decision victory over Penn. The judges scored the bout 50-45, 48-47, and 49-46 to capture the lightweight championship.
“BJ [Penn] was pound-for-pound the best guy, the most feared guy probably in the UFC at the time. When he was fighting, he would go up, even fought Lyoto Machida. He was licking his blood off his gloves, putting people away, nobody thought I was gonna win,” Edgar exclusively told Heavy Sports. “I was a huge, huge underdog, but only one person needed to believe and that was me. So, I put on a hell of a camp. I prepared like a world champion and was able to get it done.”
The result sparked controversy, as many fans believed ‘The Prodigy’ deserved the decision. As a result, the promotion booked an immediate rematch four months later at UFC 118.
Edgar once again earned a unanimous decision victory in his first title defense. This time, however, there was no debate about the outcome.
“Yeah, absolutely [it was satisfying]. The first time, it was close. Some people were like, ‘Oh, it’s a fluke.’ Then, I was able to blank him only a few months later. It solidified who I was in the lightweight division.”
Edgar not only established himself, but also proved that he had Penn’s number inside the octagon. Years later, the two fought again at featherweight, where ‘The Answer’ secured another dominant victory.
Edgar Opens Up About Competing at Lightweight
Edgar was widely considered an undersized lightweight during his time in the division. Although he became champion, there was often a noticeable size difference between him and his opponents at 155 pounds.
The former UFC lightweight champion said that he was not bothered, as fight week was a lot easier for on his body.
“The fight weeks were fun. I was eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner with my team. And I wasn’t sacrificing calories,” Edgar exclusively told Heavy Sports. “I was able to kind of train through the week, not really be depleted. And on fight night, I felt great. I know these guys were probably 20 pounds heavier on fight night, but they’re also carrying a lot of extra weight.”
He added: “My conditioning was great at 155 pounds, my chin was great, it just really worked out well for me.”
Exclusive: Frankie Edgar Opens Up About Beating BJ Penn in Career-Defining Fight