Frankie Edgar will finally hang up his gloves after more than 15 years as a professional mixed martial artist on November 12 at UFC 281. The UFC legend and a future Hall of Famer will take on Chris Gutiérrez in his final UFC fight on the main card.
Edgar made his mixed martial arts debut back in July of 2005. The UFC legend would go on to win his next 9 professional bouts, suffering the first loss of his MMA career against Gray Maynard in April of 2008. Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard would go on to become one of the greatest rivalries in the history of the sport, with the duo sharing the UFC Octagon on two more occasions after Edgar lifted the lightweight gold.
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Before losing his lightweight championship to Benson Henderson at UFC 144 in 2012, Edgar would pick up multiple victories over the likes of BJ Penn and Gray Maynard.
Edgar wouldn’t stop here, as he would drop down to the featherweight division, putting up an incredible performance against Jose Aldo. Edgar would pick up victories over the likes of Yair Rodriguez, and Jeremey Stephens to earn himself a title shot against Max Holloway.
While he remained unsuccessful in his run at the featherweight and later in the bantamweight division, it’s hard to deny the kind of impact that Edgar made throughout his UFC journey. Having achieved the UFC gold, cementing a legacy that will be remembered for years to come, Frankie Edgar seems to have done it all. So at 41 years of age, it’s safe to say Edgar fought way past his prime. Now, even the UFC legend admits maybe he got too “selfish” for his own good.
Frankie Edgar confirms retirement at UFC 281
Speaking about his retirement at UFC 281, here’s what Frankie Edgar had to say. “I know I can’t fight forever. I could definitely string it on a couple more years probably but I know I’ll never move on to what’s the next chapter in my life.”
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“I think now I’m being selfish when I’m still trying to chase this and I’ve got a family and kids that want to have goals of their own. They want me around and probably want me to be able to speak good and have my wits about me. I just know it’s probably the best time.” Edgar said.
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Frankie Edgar is married to Renee Edgar. The couple tied the knot just ten days after UFC Fight Night 13, the bout that marked the first career loss of Edgar. They have two sons, Francesco Edgar, born in 2009, and Santino James, born a year later in 2010. They also have one daughter, Valentina, who is the youngest of them all, and was born in 2014.
