What else to try to find … beyond the centerpiece.
Ovince Saint Preux will be completing on Saturday for the 21st time as a UFC light heavyweight, edging him closer to the divisions durability record. Rod Mar for ESPNOvince Saint Preux set to add to light heavyweight longevity.
Ovince Saint Preux is surrounding light heavyweight history.
His co-main event versus Alonzo Menifield will be OSPs 22nd UFC fight and 21st at light heavyweight. The latter of those numbers will be the second most in division history behind just the 22 of Jon Jones. And with Jones abandoning his champion today and stating that if he can come to arrangement with the UFC he will move up to heavyweight, that ought to leave the 205-pound longevity difference within reach of Saint Preux.
Saint Preux likewise has 10 surfaces at 205 pounds, 2nd just to Glover Teixeira, who has 11. Menifield has not been completed in his 10 professional fights.
Four more things to understand (from ESPN Stats & & Information).
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Mariya Agapova made a strong impression in her UFC launching in June, sending Hannah Cifers in less than 3 minutes. That made her the very first fighter representing Kazakhstan to win in the UFC.
A packed UFC bantamweight department will get back at deeper this weekend. In the UFC Fight Night centerpiece on Saturday, Frankie Edgar will make his debut at 135 pounds versus Pedro Munhoz. Edgar is a previous UFC lightweight champ, and Munhoz has actually won 3 of his past 4 battles.
UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. Munhoz – Saturday, Las Vegas – Prelims: ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET – Main card: ESPN, ESPN+, 8:30 p.m. ET
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Even when Edgar was a champion at 155 pounds, UFC president Dana White couldnt talk however assist about what “a monster” Edgar would be at 145. And when he did move down after losing the title to Benson Henderson and failing to restore the belt in a rematch– in a set of questionable choices– Edgars own coach still stated he d look excellent at 135.
Well, the time has pertained to finally see it. Edgar, 38, will make his bantamweight debut in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas, against top-10 opponent Pedro Munhoz. And if Edgar remains in this weight class, it will be the first time he regularly combats challengers his size.
Isnt the only unpredictability going into this weekend. Everybody I talked to about this fight– other fighters, coaches, etc– said they were curious to see how Edgars style fares at a lower weight, but likewise included something to the impact of “Hes looked vulnerable in his last couple of fights.”
Edgar did not suffer a single knockout loss in his first 28 pro fights. Now it has happened twice in his past 4, both times in the preliminary. Couple of fighters are as precious by their peers as Edgar, so it all originates from regard, however questions about his toughness are widespread entering into this fight.
And in such a way, possibly thats poetic. Edgar has been regularly suspended, or at least viewed to be susceptible, because of his size throughout his career. Now we cant say hes fighting out of his weight class, so we state he waited too long to move down.
Individuals have waited a long time for Edgar at 135 pounds. And now that hes here, it almost feels like were not anticipating much to come out of it. For a person who won the lightweight championship versus BJ Penn as a 5-to-1 underdog, maybe thats how he likes it.
ESPN IllustrationBy the numbers
11: UFC fighters who have won in 3 weight classes in the modern age. Edgar, a previous lightweight champion who in recent years has actually competed at featherweight and now is making his launching at bantamweight, is looking for to end up being the 12th. The others: Ildemar Alcantara, Jared Cannonier, Kenny Florian, Manvel Gamburyan, Erik Koch, Lucas Martins, Conor McGregor, Anthony Pettis, George Roop, Diego Sanchez and Paul Taylor.
2 Related441: Days since Munhozs last battle, a choice loss to Aljamain Sterling. It is the longest layoff in the UFC career of Munhoz, who formerly remained 399 and 243 days in between bouts.
7:15:51: Total UFC fight time for Edgar, in hours, seconds and minutes. It is one of the most in UFC history, far ahead of second-place Rafael Dos Anjos 6:43:11. In his 26 looks for the promo, Edgar has combated a record 89 rounds.
13: Finishes by Munhoz amongst his 18 profession wins (8 submissions, five knockouts). His 6 bantamweight surfaces are the fourth most in division history.
9: UFC championship defend Edgar, including one for an interim belt.
Sources: ESPN Stats & & Information and UFC Stats
A look back
SURPRISE, SURPRISE– Frankie Edgar stuns the MMA world by ending the two-year reign of BJ Penn as UFC lightweight champ with a unanimous but close choice win in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on April 10, 2010. Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Getty ImagesFive vs. 5
Pedro Munhozs newest resultsLoss: Aljamain Sterling (UD, June 8, 2019; watch on ESPN+) Win: Cody Garbrandt (KO1, March 2, 2019; watch on ESPN+) Win: Bryan Caraway (TKO1, Nov. 30, 2018) Win: Brett Johns (UD, Aug. 4, 2018) Loss: John Dodson (SD, March 3, 2018).
Frankie Edgars latest resultsLoss: Chan Sung Jung (TKO1, Dec. 21, 2019; watch on ESPN+) Loss: Max Holloway (UD, July 27, 2019; watch on ESPN+) Win: Cub Swanson (UD, April 21, 2018) Loss: Brian Ortega (KO1, March 3, 2018) Win: Yair Rodriguez (TKO2, May 13, 2017).
COVID-19 almost took opportunity away from Pedro Munhoz.
On July 6, just hours before he was set to fly to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for UFC 251, Munhoz was informed that he had evaluated positive for COVID-19. His bout with legend Frankie Edgar was off.
” It was kind of like a shock,” Munhoz told ESPN. “But at the very same time, its not. Since actually everybody is complimentary and open to get that s–. The important things that I got worried [about] was not battling Frankie. That was a fight I was looking forward to– sharing the Octagon with him.”.
Luckily for Munhoz, the battle was rebooked for this weekend.
Conan Silveira, Munhozs coach at American Top Team, stated Edgar is the “greatest battle” for Munhoz today. Edgar is a former UFC light-weight champion and longtime featherweight making his launching at bantamweight. Munhoz is ranked No. 7 by ESPN because department, and a win over a big name like Edgar would get Munhoz back on track after a loss in his last fight to Aljamain Sterling over a year back.
Munhoz has lauded Edgar as a legend, somebody whom he has enjoyed complete given that even before Edgar won the UFC lightweight title in 2011. But Munhozs coach doesnt believe that deep regard will obstruct of his fighter performing at his finest.
” Hes an adorable guy,” Silveira stated. “Hes amusing. However when it gets to the cage time …”.
Munhoz has two vicious knockout surfaces in his past three wins. His single-minded focus now is on an approach title contention.
— Marc Raimondi.
And the winner is …
It took more than 13 years, however Frankie Edgar has actually finally lost his fight with individuals who desire him to cut weight.
My opinion: No one has combated the great fight versus weight cutting as much (or also) as Edgar. In a sport in which the bulk of professional athletes cut a minimum of 8% of their body weight right before competition, Edgar has had a Hall of Fame-worthy profession without doing it as soon as.
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The most significant interest I have about Edgar at 135 is how effective his fumbling will be. In those tight minutes in which Edgar really needs a takedown, will it be different at this weight? Im going to take a leap of faith and say yes, and anticipate Edgar still has more than what were providing him at the moment.
Saturdays fight schedule.
WelterweightESPN/ESPN+, 6 p.m. ETAmanda Lemos vs. Mizuki Inoue
2. Daniel Rodriguez, who deals with Takashi Sato at welterweight, is aiming to extend his winning streaks to 3 battles in the UFC and 8 general. Rodriguez is unbeaten considering that February 2018.
3. Japanese strawweight Mizuki Inoue makes her second UFC appearance, facing 7-1-1 Amanda Lemos. Considering that losing to Virna Jandiroba in March 2018, Mizuki has won back-to-back fights by choice.
4. Dana Whites Contender Series agreement winner Joe Solecki makes his second UFC look, handling lightweight Austin Hubbard, who is coming off a victory over Max Rohskopf. Solecki has won four consecutive fights and last year belonged to the first circumstances of White giving out contracts to every winner on that weeks program, which the UFC president repeated recently.
Jeff Wagenheim added to this fight card preview.
In the UFC Fight Night primary occasion on Saturday, Frankie Edgar will make his debut at 135 pounds versus Pedro Munhoz. Edgar is a previous UFC lightweight champ, and Munhoz has won 3 of his past 4 battles.
Edgar, 38, will make his bantamweight debut in the primary occasion of UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas, against top-10 opponent Pedro Munhoz. Everyone I talked to about this fight– other fighters, coaches, etc– stated they were curious to see how Edgars style fares at a lower weight, however also included something to the impact of “Hes looked vulnerable in his last few fights.”
7:15:51: Total UFC fight time for Edgar, in seconds, minutes and hours.
