UFC bantamweight fighter and former Lightweight champion Frankie Edgar is contemplating retirement and wants the upcoming UFC 281 to be his retirement fight and on his final Octagon outing, Edgar is eyeing Dominick Cruz.
It’s going to be tough walking away: Frankie Edgar
Edgar, who reigned as the 155-pound champion between 2010 and 2012 and also contested for the Featherweight title multiple times, confirmed the report from his manager Ali Abdelaziz to ESPN that he will be retiring at UFC 281, set to take place on 12th November at the Madison Square Garden- one of the most prestigious combat sports venues.
“I think that would be cool. It would be a pretty cool sendoff at Madison Square Garden, it’s pretty much in my backyard. I trained up in Renzo’s for so many years, it would be a pretty cool sendoff,” said Edgar, who hails from Toms River, New Jersey.
The 40-year-old was last seen in action against Marlon Vera at UFC 268 in November last year in which he was knocked out via flying kick in the third round. Now after a year later, for his retirement fight, Edgar said that he has his mind on former two-time UFC Bantamweight titlist Dominick Cruz.
“I’m never one to call anybody out or pick anybody, I usually let the UFC and Ali kind of figure that out. But I’ll say a name just because I think it’s more of a legacy fight and I know he has a fight coming up and who knows how it could happen, but I think Dominick Cruz. He was a champion at 135 when I was the champion at 155. We were both pretty much top of the division, I think that could be an interesting fight,” he added.
Having lost four of his last five fights- against Max Holloway, The Korean Zombie, Cory Sandhagen and Vera, “The Answer” has been contemplating since his last outing and while his career in mixed martial art comes to an end which he terms as “bittersweet”, the veteran plans to stay connected to the sport.
“I’ve been kind of kicking the idea of retirement around since my last fight,” Edgar went on, “The last couple of fights obviously didn’t go the way I wanted them to, but me, if I’m being honest I’d fight forever, you know? But that’s kind of selfish to my family and the people that care about me, so I think I need to kind of announce my retirement, have a retirement so I can sail off into the sunset a little bit.”
“I guess it’s bittersweet. It’s got to happen, I’m 40 years old, looking at 41 in a couple of months. I feel great though. I don’t feel tired going to the gym. I’m not that guy. I heard [Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone] saying, he just recently retired, ‘Say goodbye to abs, say goodbye to working out.’ I’m not that guy. I like working out, I like looking good. It’s a little vanity, but still, I enjoy this life. It’s not work to me. So it’s going to be tough walking away. I’ll always be in this sport, regardless,” Edgar concluded. [H/T MMA Fighting]
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