Tomorrow night on the main card of UFC 268, we will see a fun showdown in the bantamweight division. Former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar (24-9-1) will be fighting in his backyard of Madison Square Garden as he takes on Marlon “Chito” Vera (19-7-1).
For Edgar, he will be making his third appearance in the UFC‘s bantamweight division. The former lightweight champion spent his entire career fighting in weight classes where he was clearly the smaller man in the cage.
However, when Edgar broke into the sport, there was no 145 or 135 in the UFC. Edgar rose to the top and became lightweight champion despite the lack of size. However, Edgar hasn’t touched UFC gold since 2012. He’s 1-1 in the bantamweight division and this fight could be do or die for his career.
While it might be desperation mode for Edgar, this is a golden opportunity for Chito Vera. Vera is 7-2 in his last nine UFC appearances, granted one of those losses was an awful decision. His only true loss came last December when he lost to Jose Aldo.
Vera returned in June to defeat Davey Grant and looked sensational. Now, he’s taking on a former UFC champion with his eyes on the top ten of the bantamweight division. A win here would be huge for Chito.
UFC 268 Prediction
This is really good matchmaking by the UFC. These two have styles that compliment each other and both really need this win for different reasons. Edgar needs to win to prove that he’s still got plenty left in the tank.
Meanwhile Chito Vera needs to win to prove he can compete with the elites of the division. For Vera, he’s definitely going to have the power advantage tomorrow night. If he’s going to win, I personally see him getting it done by stoppage.
For Edgar, I really like his ability to wrestle as well as his activity and speed. Those combining together give him a big advantage when it comes to scoring points and if we see a decision, I like Edgar’s ability to score throughout.
While I see a clear path for Chito Vera, I really like Frankie Edgar at UFC 268. I think the former lightweight champion still has plenty left in him and I like this matchup for him. Chito Vera is dangerous, but Edgar’s been in there which much more dangerous. I’m expecting a great performance from “The Answer” tomorrow night.