UFC featherweight stakes high for Edgar, Swanson
Frankie Edgar's victory against B.J. Penn in July should have been a gratifying moment.
It turned out to be bittersweet.
Edgar beat the former two-division champion for the third time in The Ultimate Fighter 19 finale.
But the glory of his dominant win was snuffed out by the somber air surrounding Penn's post-fight retirement.
"It was hard to be happy with that win," Edgar tells Paste BN Sports. "Usually after a win, and especially a finish, you're pretty excited. I couldn't gloat."
It was an underwhelming conclusion to a yearlong layoff. Edgar agreed to coach The Ultimate Fighter 19 opposite Penn with hopes he'd be pushed to the forefront of the UFC's featherweight pecking order.
Instead, Edgar's performance was overshadowed by Penn's final moment in the octagon. After sacrificing 17 months of his fighting career, Edgar hoped for more.
"I knew what B.J. losing was going to imply, and I didn't want to take his shine away," Edgar says. "But besides another win on my record, it didn't do much for me."
Edgar's (17-4-1 MMA, 11-4-1 UFC) third win against Penn didn't provide the same jolt for his career as the first two did. His first win against the Hawaiian earned him the UFC's lightweight title in 2010. Later that year, he defended that belt in a rematch.
It did, however, position him for a meaningful showdown with Cub Swanson (21-5, 6-1) on Saturday at Frank Erwin Center in Austin in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. Swanson (10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1).
Edgar, No. 4 in the Paste BN Sports/MMAjunkie featherweight rankings, is one spot behind Swanson, who has won his last six fights. UFC President Dana White has hinted Swanson could get a title shot against champion Jose Aldo with a win. Edgar might have to put in a little more work.
Having already climbed the championship ladder at lightweight, Edgar wants to do the same at 145 pounds.
With 15 UFC fights and nearly five hours of cage time on his résumé, Edgar has been inside the octagon more than most and has never been stopped in his career. Known for his durability, Swanson thinks he'll be the first to stop "The Answer."
"He's starting to slow down a little bit," Swanson says. "He's been in too many wars. In my heart, I know I'm going to stop him. Whatever it is to finish, I'm going to do it."
Both Edgar and Swanson have been beaten by Aldo, and they'll have to go through the other if they want a rematch. Swanson suffered an eight-second knockout to Aldo in June2009, a result that has been a permanent fixture on Aldo's highlight reel and one Swanson would like to avenge.
"I'm going to get the title fight," Swanson says. "If I finish this guy, I'm the No.1 contender and I'm going for the title."
Bohn writes for MMAjunkie. Follow him on twitter @MikeBohnMMA