Mixed Martial Arts in the Philippines will never be the same, once the first ever UFC event takes place in Manila this summer. The Philippines is in for a treat on the 16th of May, when former WEC Featherweight Champion, Urijah Faber, collides with former UFC Lightweight Champion, Frankie Edgar, in a five-round superfight that will propel the winner closer to a title shot in the Featherweight division.
In the UFC’s stacked Featherweight division, current kingpin, Jose Aldo, has yet to be beaten in almost 10 years, and both men have been included in his list of casualties. Aldo has faced both men, and holds decision wins over the two. Faber faced Aldo in the World Extreme Cagefighting Championships for the Featherweight title back in 2010, while Edgar squared off against the Brazilian just two years ago in Las Vegas for UFC Gold.
Edgar, being a former UFC Lightweight Champion, has long been tempted by fight promoters to make a move down to the Featherweight Division in order to set up some superfights against the elite of the division.
UFC 156: Aldo vs. Edgar (c/o TodaysKnockout.com)
When he was offered the possibility of a superfight with Aldo, he agreed and this set him up as the automatic number 1 contender for the title back in 2013. Their fight went on to be named “Fight of the Night” because of several good exchanges on the feet. Aldo employed his vicious Muay Thai, while Edgar used superb footwork to evade the dangerous leg kicks that Aldo is known for. After five rounds in an excellent technical battle, the champion retained his belt, but Edgar wasn’t far off. The scorecards ended with Aldo on top, 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47.
On the other hand, “The California Kid” has been a household name since the WEC was still active due to his energy and heart. Faber’s only losses have come at the hands of notable fighters in championship bouts. The list of his losses are as follows: Tyson Griffin (9/10/2005, GC Bantamweight Championship), Mike Brown (WEC 36, WEC Featherweight Championship), Mike Brown (WEC 41, WEC Featherweight Championship), Jose Aldo (WEC 48, WEC Featherweight Championship), Dominick Cruz (UFC 132, UFC Bantamweight Championship), Renan Barao (UFC 149, Interim UFC Bantamweight Championship), and his last championship fight against Renan Barao (UFC 169, UFC Bantamweight Championship).
WEC 48: Aldo vs. Faber (c/o MMABrasil.com)
The only common opponent that both Edgar and Faber share is Aldo. Leg kicks dictated the fight as Aldo teed off on Faber’s legs. Aldo was able to do this early on, which slowed down the wrestling and footwork that the Team Alpha Male stud was known for. Being the great equalizer, the leg kicks got the better of Faber as they took their toll in the latter rounds, thus giving Aldo the clear victory.
Faber has improved by leaps and bounds since his last fight against Aldo, while Edgar has stayed the same since his fight against the Featherweight Champion. In using their fights against Jose Aldo as barometer, however, Frankie Edgar still has the advantage over Urijah Faber with his weaving and footwork that results to combinations coming from all angles.
With a combined record of 50 wins and 11 losses, 10 out of the 11 losses being in title fights, emphasis on the talent of these two athletes and how they have managed to stay on top of very competitive weight classes in premiere organizations such as the UFC and WEC showed be noted. The immovable object meets the unstoppable force; someone’s got to give.
The former UFC Lightweight Champion, the 18-4-1, Frankie “the Answer” Edgar (#2 Featherweight) will face-off against the former WEC Featherweight Champion, the 32-7, “California Kid” Urijah Faber (#3 Bantamweight) at UFC Fight Night Manila: Edgar vs. Faber on May 16, 2015 at the Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City
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