On April 10, 2010, at UFC 112 from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, lightweight fighter Frankie “The Answer” Edgar shocked the MMA world. In a title fight that he entered as a huge underdog, Edgar defeated MMA deity B.J. “The Prodigy” Penn in a five round standup war to seize the UFC lightweight title. In doing so, Edgar was the first man to defeat Penn at lightweight in almost eight years.

Prior to winning the UFC Lightweight Championship, however, the spirited fighter and former collegiate wrestler out of Toms River, New Jersey was already one of the division’s best, and had been defeated only once as a professional. Edgar’s resume, in fact, is dotted with wins over major league MMA talent, including 155 lb. wrecking balls Tyson Griffin and Sean Sherk, as well as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu wizards Hermes Franca and Mark Bocek. To those that had followed his career progression closely, Edgar’s title performance against Penn was far less surprising.

Frankie Edgar’s key to success inside the Octagon has been his ability to remain technical even when fighting at an extremely high pace. That speaks to hard work and enormous diligence in training, as well as an ability to stay calm under fire. Edgar has sharp boxing, makes effective use of his jab, and draws on his foundation as a standout wrestler. Edgar has a somewhat spare frame for a lightweight, and the fact that he could easily cut to 145 lbs. makes his record of performance in the bigger (and more lucrative) lightweight division all the more impressive. With few other discernible weaknesses outside of his natural size, plus a deep competitive streak to keep him motivated, Frankie Edgar looks poised to add victories for many years to come.