Why is Frankie Edgar retiring from MMA after UFC 281?

Frankie Edgar has confirmed that he will make his final walk to the cage tonight at UFC 281 when he faces Chris Gutierrez. Speaking to MMA Fighting, 'The Answer' revealed that his age and a poor run of form inside the octagon are among his reasons for calling it a day:

"It’s a lot of things I would think. Kind of the way my fights have been going as of late led to that as well. My body, I am getting older. I feel great. In camp, I’m such a strong-minded person that I always have great camps. I always feel good but the body takes its toll throughout the years and I just want to move on and see what’s next."

Frankie Edgar (24-10-1) is currently on a two-fight skid and is 1-4 in his last five UFC appearances. The 41-year-old was dispatched by Marlon Vera with a third-round knockout in November 2021 after suffering a first-round KO against Cory Sandhagen in February earlier that year.

The UFC veteran will have the opportunity to end his career on a high note when he makes his 30th and final promotional appearance tonight.

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Was Frankie Edgar a champion in the UFC?

Frankie Edgar is a former UFC lightweight champion. 'The Answer' captured the 155-pound title by defeating B.J. Penn via unanimous decision at UFC 112 in April 2010.

Edgar went on to make three defenses (including a draw) of his lightweight crown before ultimately dropping the belt to Benson Henderson at UFC 144 in February 2012, losing via unanimous decision. Both men were awarded Fight of the Night honors for their performances.

'The Answer' rematched Henderson six months later in a bid to reclaim the title. While it was a tightly contested battle, Edgar lost again, this time via split decision.

Following the defeat, Edgar decided to move down to featherweight and fought then-champion Jose Aldo in his divisional debut in February 2013. However, he lost to the Brazilian via unanimous decision. After having some success at 145lbs, Edgar ultimately moved down to bantamweight and is 1-2 in that division.