Tomorrow night on the main card of UFC 281, a legend will make the walk for the final time. Former lightweight champion and featherweight title challenger Frankie Edgar (24-10-1) will take on rising contender Chris Gutierrez (18-3-2).
Let’s start with Gutierrez who is getting the opportunity of a lifetime. Since making his UFC debut back in 2018 at The TUF 28 finale, Gutierrez has gone 6-1-1 in his eight fights inside the octagon. Currently, he’s on a three-fight winning streak heading into this bout.
While he’s certainly been impressive, all eyes are going to be on his opponent. Frankie Edgar is retiring after UFC 281 on Saturday night. This will be the last time that we see “The Answer” inside the octagon. Edgar is just 1-4 in his last four fights. While he’s looked great in spots, he’s also been knocked out in three of those losses.
UFC 281 Prediction
I’m very curious to see how Frankie Edgar will look in this one. A lot is going to depend whether or not he can get Gutierrez down to the ground with his takedowns. On the feet, there’s one thing that could really hurt Edgar if he’s not careful.
Gutierrez has nasty leg kicks. One of the few fighters in the UFC with a leg kick TKO victory. Edgar does throw kicks, but he’s mainly known for his boxing and his footwork. Gutierrez can severely limit Edgar’s output on the feet if he starts landing with leg kicks.
For Edgar, he needs to land his takedowns. I think he’ll eat some leg kicks early, but the former UFC champion will get a couple of takedowns. Will it be enough over the course of three rounds? It’ll be close.
I don’t see either man getting the finish on Saturday night. Gutierrez will get the better of the striking in my opinion, but I think Edgar does land a couple of takedowns in the first two rounds. In the end, I think it’ll be just enough for Edgar to retire on a win.
Prediction: Frankie Edgar by Decision