Frankie Edgar will try to put himself one step closer to another UFC title shot when he meets bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen at UFC Vegas 18 on Feb. 6 in Las Vegas. The 135-pound matchup will serve as the co-headliner and help propel the winner to the top of the division.
Edgar, 39, made a huge splash in his bantamweight debut last August when he defeated Pedro Munhoz in one of the best main events of 2020. Edgar looked sharp, strong, and just as dangerous as he was when he held the UFC lightweight championship 10 years ago. It was certainly a small sample size, but Edgar doesn’t need much time inside of the Octagon to impress.
With a new division at his fingertips and his momentum finally looking up, Edgar is excited to get back in action and prove he’s the best fighter at 135 pounds. He’ll have his chance to do just that next weekend against Sandhagen, who is coming off a spectacular knockout finish over Marlon Moraes back in October (see it HERE).
“To me, this really could be a No. 1 contender fight,” said Edgar during a recent episode of “Real Quick with Mike Swick” podcast. “He’s No. 2, I’m right behind him. Aljo (Sterling) and Petr Yan just got booked, I believe March 6, so it’s a perfect time. We fight the month before these guys; see what happens with them and then hopefully the winner of ours gets the winner of that.”
Edgar, who will not be headlining a UFC event for the first time in nearly three years, is hoping to put together his first win streak since 2016-2017. That is the longest drought of his professional career and one of the main reasons why Edgar dropped down to bantamweight in the first place.
Luckily, Edgar’s move down to 135 pounds seems to be the perfect decision at this point in his career. He’s finally fighting competition his size and has already proved he’s a legit contender after just one fight. “The Answer” will now have the opportunity to end Sandhagen’s quest for a title at UFC Vegas 18 and lock down his own bid for UFC gold in the process.
“The ’35-pound division is really hot right now,” Edgar said. “I’ve got to go in there and make a statement. I’ve got go in there and finish Cory if I want to get that title shot, and that’s what I’ve been working on this whole camp: Going in there, pressuring him, and really making him wilt in there and showing some experience. I have more experience than anybody in this game for the most part; not too many older fighters than me in the UFC right now, so I’ve got to utilize that to my best ability and make this happen.”
UFC Vegas 18 will take place on Feb. 6 live on ESPN+ from inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. A heavyweight clash between Alistair Overeem and Alexander Volkov is expected to serve as the main event.
For more UFC Vegas 18 fight card news click here.
