New Division, New Frankie Edgar: Former Champion Beats Pedro Munhoz At UFC On ESPN 15

At 38 and 2-3 in his last five fights, many were questioning the future of Frankie Edgar. Moving to a new division seemed risky, but it was something he was willing to try out. Looking leaner than ever, Edgar passed a major test in Pedro Munhoz.

Inside the UFC’s APEX Center in Las Vegas, Edgar (24-8-1) beat Munhoz via split decision, 48-47, 46-49, 48-47.

A former UFC Lightweight Champion, Edgar came into the fight with a true reach advantage. He would use it well, as he would hit several combination shots whenever he got the chance in round one. Munhoz (18-5, 1 NC), on the other hand, would hit several leg kicks that would affect the body movement of Edgar. Edgar briefly went down to the floor thanks to an early leg kick, but Edgar would respond with multiple hits. Munhoz would land jabs and attempt to move forward whenever he got the chance. Unfortunately, for him, Edgar’s speed felt far more advanced.

Munhoz was starting to hit volume shots, while Edgar was pouring it on. He would continue to land combination shots as round two began. In what turned into a chess match, Edgar was able to force several cuts onto the face of Munhoz. Following a knee and a right hand by Edgar, he would hit shots to the inside. Edgar landed a takedown but Munhoz was able to escape. It was one of several times in which Munhoz was able to block the wrestling ability of Edgar.

These uppercuts from Frankie are INTENSE. #UFCVegas7 pic.twitter.com/EwvDubdBpQ

— UFC (@ufc) August 23, 2020

Blood started pouring down the eye of Munhoz as Edgar started to bleed by his nose. Following an accidental groin shot before the end of the round, Edgar opened the next round with left-hand combinations. While Edgar missed the first two of his shots, the later shots appeared to connect well. Munhoz would continue to attack the leg and would eventually hit three straight jabs. Edgar was walking gingerly and fell to the floor at one point as Munhoz continued his attack, but he managed to land a left hook.

Edgar would try another takedown in round four, but he was only able to land two. Munhoz would back out and land a one-two combination to go with a jab. Edgar hit a left hook, but Munhoz responded with a right to the face. Cutting off the octagon, Munhoz landed a left hook and another stiff kick. He ended the round with a big right to the face of Edgar.

Never out of the fight, Edgar would trade shots with Munhoz to open round five. While his leg gave out again, Edgar would land a big right. He missed a spinning back fist but continued to go on the attack. Munhoz would land power rights while a one-legged Edgar would continue his multiple-hit charges. Both would reign fire until the last bell rang.

In total, Munhoz landed 122 strikes while Edgar landed 127.

The win by Edgar ends a two-fight losing streak following a run in the featherweight division. Munhoz has now lost two in a row. The 33-year-old is currently ranked fifth in the UFC’s bantamweight rankings.