Frankie Edgar declares his love for MMA and explains his motivation for winning the bantamweight title at the age of 39  

F. Edgar in victory for the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

Living legend of MMA, Frankie Edgar is close to another title fight in Ultimate. This Saturday (6), the athlete will exchange forces against Cory Sandhagen in the dream of taking another step towards the top of the bantamweight division (up to 61,2kg.). At 39 years old, the fighter spoke about his passion for the sport and what motivates him to continue competing after more than 15 years of career.

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“I put my heart and soul into this (MMA). I live it. My family has to live this every time. I always want to be the best. I always want to be fighting, to be sure that I'm always trying to be the best person in the world, because that's my goal”, said Edgar, in an interview with 'MMA fighting'.

Former UFC lightweight champion (up to 70,3kg), Frankie is looking to make history and try for his third title shot in the third different weight category. The North American debuted among bantamweights in August 2020 and overcame Peter Munhoz in the judges' split decision.

After the triumph over the Brazilian, which immediately placed him in a prominent position in the group, the fighter is now looking to surpass number two in the ranking. Without provoking, Frankie admitted that the match against Sandhagen could pair him as an opponent for the winner between Petr yan e aljamain sterling, who face each other on March 6th.

“Ever since I entered the sport, I wanted to face the best. Facing the best puts me where I want to be. It's no different with Cory. I think it's the perfect fight for him and me. (…) I consider it a fight between title challengers. Any time you achieve a winning streak in high competition, doing what I did in my career, will always put me one step away from the title,” he said.

Finally, Edgar revealed what keeps him focused on continuing to compete at a high level within the sport. With almost 40 appearances in the sport, for Frankie, the answer is simple.

“I'm willing to face legends, but the competitor in me wants to face the best. When I don’t want to fight the best, maybe I shouldn’t perform anymore”, he concluded.

The clash against Sandhagen will mark Edgar's 34th appearance as a professional in MMA. Today, the veteran has 24 wins, eight losses and one draw.