In recent months, a loud, brash Irishman has brought more attention to the UFC featherweight division than it is has had since its inception.
Conor McGregor has captivated the fight world and gotten into a war of words with virtually every contender in the featherweight ranks.
Everyone from champ Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes to Ricardo Lamas, Dustin Poirier, and Cub Swanson, they all want a piece of McGregor. In addition the attention he has brought on himself, he has also managed to shine a greater light on the featherweight title and the subsequent queue of contenders.
Who should be next in line for Aldo? Who should face McGregor himself? Can Lamas work his way back into contention? Is Cub Swanson really on the verge of a title fight? All of these questions are being asked now that someone is stirring the pot. But it seems as if one major ingredient in the featherweight division is being left out, the former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar.
The quiet, reserved New Jersey native has stayed away from the trash talk and the twitter battles, opting to let his fighting do the talking. Coming off of back to back wins, albeit a year apart, Edgar stays under the radar while still very much being in title contention. While on a long list of men defeated by the current champion, he remains one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
A win over the streaking Swanson in Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night 57 main event in Austin, Texas would put Edgar at or near the front of the line. Perhaps then, fans and critics alike will once again remember to include Frankie Edgar. If the time comes where he is being interviewed by Brian Stann, it may be in his best interest to stir the pot himself. After all, winners are much harder to forget.