Justin Gaethje proved a particular former UFC lightweight champion right when ‘The Highlight’ bested Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250 for lightweight gold. The ex-155-pound titleholder who saw Gaethje shock the MMA world is Frankie Edgar, who earned a victory recently on the Real American Freestyle mat over Clay Guida at RAF 11.
A largely unforeseen changing of the guard transpired at UFC Freedom 250 when Gaethje put it on the previously unbeaten Topuria, who retired on his stool during their June clash. On that fateful night, Edgar was on hand with someone else interwoven into the lineage of the UFC’s lightweight title, Eddie Alvarez, for a viewing party during the fight that saw Justin Gaethje make good on his third bid for lineal gold.
A lot of people were touting that Gaethje victory as a big upset, and the narrative around Edgar’s win against BJ Penn was that of a massive underdog defeating a generational great. Within these contextual pieces, when asked for his thoughts on Justin Gaethje becoming the UFC lightweight champion, Edgar said [via Bowks Talking Bouts],
“Yeah, I think it’s amazing. Obviously, Justin is a friend of mine. I don’t think anybody’s more deserving, he’s been through it. There’s never been a boring fight where he didn’t put his whole all into it and for him to achieve that, that was awesome to see. The way he did it, I mean, it was a; I picked Justin Gaethje, maybe because he’s my friend and I was really hoping it happened”
Justin Gaethje showed “guts and heart” at UFC Freedom 250, per Edgar: “That was a straight-up Justin Gaethje fight”
Further expounding upon his thoughts regarding the Justin Gaethje-Ilia Topuria championship contest at the White House, Edgar continued [via Bowks Talking Bouts],
“I don’t think a lot of people were thinking it was going to go down that way. But if it was gonna go down, that’s exactly the way it was going to go down. That was a straight-up Justin Gaethje fight, and I do think that jab hurt [Topuria], that cut he had. I don’t know if it was his nose or the cut on his eye.”
“I think that really affected Ilia. [Topuria] is just not used to not being in the driver’s seat. Fighting on his back foot, he’s just not very good at it. So that’s; Justin was able to go there and just do a typical Justin Gaethje performance. Nothing but guts and heart and get it done. It was awesome to see.”
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
