In a display of swift dominance, Frankie “The Answer” Edgar retained his title in his rematch against former champion BJ Penn. The bout, which lasted all five rounds, was exactly what Edgar needed to prove to reporters, fans, and anyone else with doubts that he is indeed the real deal.
As the bout began, Edgar came out strong and faster than ever. He put together a number of excellent combinations and executed a takedown right away, not allowing Penn a moment to breathe. It was evident from the beginning of the fight that Edgar would be the one to dictate the pace. He controlled the octagon for the entire first round, outworking and outstriking Penn for all five minutes.
After the first round, Penn immediately began to show signs of fatigue and discouragement. As the second round began it was more of the same, with Edgar dominating all aspects of the game and controlling the fight completely. Edgar landed numerous crisp combinations while Penn struggled to keep up with his pace and match his boxing. Rounds 3 and 4 passed with Penn landing a takedown, placing Edgar in a dangerous position. Although Penn’s ground game is one of the best in MMA, Edgar was quickly able to scramble back to his feet and regain control of the fight.
The final round of the fight saw an extremely tired and mentally defeated BJ Penn. Knowing he had lost the first 4 rounds and feeling powerless to do anything else, Penn simply went through the motions in round 5. Edgar, however, looked as fresh and dominant as the first 30 seconds of round 1, a testament to his intense cardio training and overall skill level. Edgar pushed through the entire round with the force and determination that he showed from the beginning. Simply put—he outclassed Penn in every way possible and could not be a more deserving champion.
Edgar improves to 13-1 while Penn falls to 15-7-1.
Tags: Lightweight, UFC
