This past Saturday on the main card of UFC 268, we saw a bantamweight showdown between former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar (24-10-1) and Marlon “Chito” Vera (20-7-1). This was a big fight for Edgar who had a home crowd advantage fighting at MSG.
The fight at UFC 268 started out really well for Edgar. Edgar was able to get a takedown in the first round and spent the majority of the round on top of Chito Vera. The second round saw Chito Vera really start to put together a little momentum.
Chito started landing some big shots and entering the third round, the fight was up for grabs. Vera was fighting with a ton of urgency and kept pushing forward with big shots on the former UFC champion. Edgar was having his moments too until he was caught.
Chito landed a massive front kick to the face that knocked Edgar out and sent him to the canvas. Vera celebrated as a MSG crowd fell a little quiet as they watched the Toms River native ask the referee what happened. The former UFC champion suffered his second consecutive brutal knockout loss.
What’s next after UFC 268?
After this latest loss at UFC 268, many are wondering what’s next for Frankie Edgar. On one hand, we are just one year removed from him winning a tremendous fight against Pedro Munhoz. On the other hand, he’s 40 years old and has been brutally knocked out twice in a row.
Do I think that Edgar is going to retire? No, and I don’t believe the UFC is going to say he needs to hang it up. Edgar was very competitive with Chito until that knockout in the third round. I can’t see him walking away after that loss.
However, the UFC is going to have to figure out an opponent that makes sense. For that, I would turn your attention to UFC 269 next month. On the prelims, Dominick Cruz (23-3) is taking on Pedro Munhoz (19-6).
Whoever loses that fight would be perfect for Frankie Edgar. If Cruz loses to Munhoz, the UFC could put together a matchup between the two legends that fight fans everywhere would love to see. If Munhoz loses, we can see a rematch after their first fight was razor close.
I don’t see Edgar hanging it up, but I also don’t see him making another run towards a title. For the fans of “The Answer”, you might want to enjoy his next fight because that one might just be his last.