5thRound.com’s EXCLUSIVE interview with UFC Lightweight fighter Frankie Edgar

Tom Ngo of 5thRound.com recently got the chance to speak with undefeated UFC Lightweight fighter Frankie Edgar. Edgar is coming off of a huge victory over Spencer Fisher at UFC 78 and is looking to climb up the Lightweight ladder towards a title shot. Edgar also has a victory over another Lightweight contender in Tyson Griffin as well. Make sure you check out FrankEdgar.com to stay up to date with Frankie.

You can listen to the interview by clicking the play button, or you can read the transcript below:

Tom: We’ve got a special guest for you today, UFC fighter Frankie Edgar climbing up the ranks actually rather quickly in the Lightweight division. Frankie, thanks so much for checking in with us man, we appreciate it.

Frankie: Yeah no problem man, no problem at all.

T: Can you tell us what you’ve been up to since you dominated Spencer Fisher at UFC 78?

F: Pretty much just back home training again you know, relaxing a little bit, doing some snowboarding and stuff like that.

T: You don’t worry about getting injured snowboarding?

F: I don’t go often enough, so when I get to go I’m gonna go.

T: How were your holidays and everything, anything special going on?

F: Nah just hung out with the family, it was nice.

T: Nice. Well kind of talk about your fight with Spencer Fisher, you were actually a favorite entering in that fight and dispite Spencer’s reputation with the MMA community, was there anything different you did entering that fight knowing that you were actually a favorite?

F: I didn’t even really know that I was the favorite to tell you the truth. I try not to get too involved with all that stuff. I just decided sticking to the game plan and I guess I did and it worked.

T: Right, is that just you or do most fighters not know the betting lines going into a fight?

F: Yeah, I don’t really know anybody else, I don’t know what their deal is but that’s just mine. One of my friends tells me all the time.

T: The only reason I ask is because 2007 in the MMA world has been the year of the upsets, what do you think contributed to so many upsets this year as opposed to in the years past?

F: I guess they’re not necessarily upsets. I mean I just think some guys or some of the names are getting maybe a little older and some of the newcomers are coming up. That’s just how its going to be.

T: Do you forsee that keeping true to the trend in 2008?

F: Yeah this sport will keep anybody honest man, you can’t really slip in this sport you’re gonna to see good people lose all the time.

T: Most fans understand that it’s a fight and it’s very unpredictable. At the same time, certain skilled fighters are able to handle the spotlight and the limelight. What we’ve kind of noticed is that MMA seems to be growing at such a high pace and the level of intensity and the paychecks at the same rate, maybe that type of pressure is starting to build on the favorites and their succumbing to that. What do you think about that?

F: Yeah I mean you know that’s a good little thought about that. I mean I guess that could hold true you know, I’m not making that much money yet so I can’t really tell you [laughs]. My bad.

T: No worries man, keep it up the payday’s coming.

F: Yeah [laughs].

T: How was it like fighting in front of your home crowd in New Jersey at 78?

F: Ah you couldn’t beat it man, you can’t dream about something like that.

T: As far as your victories thus far, you’ve beaten some pretty big names. You’re 8-0 so far, Spencer Fisher obviously your last one [by] unanimous decision, and then beating Tyson Griffin also highly regarded within the UFC Lightweight division, which of those two fights or is there a different fight that you were involved in that you would rank as your biggest win?

F: I don’t think I’ve had it yet you know? As far as beating the biggest name I guess Spencer Fisher as far as maybe my toughest fight it’d be Tyson Griffin. I guess after you win the fight I guess you just try to put it behind you, you don’t really try to dwell on it too much.

T: It’s interesting that you said Tyson was a more difficult fight for you, why do you think he was a little more difficult than Spencer was for you?

F: I just think that Tyson’s wrestling ability, I was just able to control Spencer more. You know, Tyson stopped some shots and he had some of his own.

T: Before the recent signings that the UFC made in the Lightweight division, the Light Heavyweight division was considered the deepest within the UFC at the time, but now with all this upcoming talent such as yourself, B.J. dropping down. What do you think abut the depth that your division has right now?

F: Yeah, it’s stacked in our class and I mean its just great to be part of. If you’re gonna win, might as well win in the toughest division right?

T: At this point in time its still early in your career, your 3-0 in the UFC, how far off do you think you are right now in getting into serious title contention?

F: Yeah, I really don’t know I mean whatever the UFC has planned. I have no idea to tell you the truth, man I’m just going to train for my next opponent, should be fighting sometime in April so I guess we’ll see how these next couple of fights go and if they turn out well then I guess I’ll be considered.

T: So have they [the UFC] actually spoken to you about any upcoming opponents? Rumor has it that in April the fight’s going to be happening out in Montreal if Georges St. Pierre gets his way. Is that what they kinda threw your way as far as Dana White and Joe Silva?

F: Yeah, I don’t know, I just know the timeline it’s going to be in April. I’m not sure exactly when or where yet.

T: Have they thrown any possible opponents to you?

F: No, no. Unfortunately no, just waiting on that man.

T: Well talk a little bit about the division, the two top dogs Sean Sherk who didn’t get cleared by the CSAC on his steroid use and he’s going to be taking on the winner of the BJ Penn/Joe Stevenson fight at UFC 80. What do you think about that situation, does it frustrated you at all in terms of climbing up the Lightweight ladder?

F: Nah man, it don’t bother me at all. I mean whether Sherk didn’t get stripped or did get stripped I think he’d end up fighting the winner of that fight anyways, it just kind of worked out like that.

T: Have you been following any of the chat rooms and the updates about the smack talk going on between BJ Penn and Sherk, even though they’re not scheduled to fight each other yet?

F: I don’t really get on the computer much man, so I don’t really follow any of that stuff. I hear stuff from my friends all the time, I’m absolutely out of the loop.

T: Your friends, are they fighters or in the MMA community or just homies from back in the day?

F: A little of both, I got some people that I hang out with that fight and just some friends I grew up with but everyone’s starting to get into MMA now.

T: Who within the MMA community would you say that you were the closest with?

F: I’d say the guys out at AKA (American Kickboxing Academy) and then obviously my training partners at home and in Philly, Eddie Alvarez and the guys at the Fight Factory and those guys.

T: Going a little deeper, I don’t know if you watched the past UFC 79 but Takanori Gomi, the top Lightweight in the world according to MMAWeekly and even Sherdog was spotted at UFC 79 actually sitting front and center so it leads you to believe that he was getting courted by the UFC management, what do you think about the possibility of him coming to the UFC and how that affects the division even more.

F: Yeah it adds another dynamic to it man, I mean Gomi’s one of the best in the world and I think it would be great for our division. It just shows that it’s the toughest division in the world.

T: What are your thoughts on a lot of the PRIDE fighters that came over here to the UFC that really excelled over there but thus far their skills and abilities haven’t led to success within the UFC?

F: [Yawns] Damn I’m yawning over here. Yeah, I guess a little culture shock for them or something, I don’t know. It could just be coincidental too, who knows? I mean Rampage is doing real well so is Anderson Silva, but some aren’t.

T: Do you think that’s a big adjustment for a lot of fighters coming over from a ring to a cage, or is it the rule changes?

F: I just think they’re fighting good guys too man. I mean Shogun came over here he lost, but he lost to Forrest man. Forrest just showed up for that fight, I wouldn’t say that he had ring rust or whatever you want to call it, I don’t know what it was but I think it was because Forrest is a pretty tough dude you know?

T: If you had your choice right now with the top Lightweights available in the UFC, who would you like to fight next coming up hopefully in April that you could throw down with?

F: Anybody, anybody at this point you know? A lot of guys are tied up, stuff like that with fights they have coming up. Whoever you know? As long as it’s a step in the right direction.

T: You really have a good attitude, we’ve seen it with a lot of other fighters we’ve talked to. You’ve put the last fight behind you, you move forward and you really have this tunnel vision as far as trying to move up the ladder and I’ll fight whoever they’ll put in front of me. From a fan’s perspective we really appreciate that because we hear about all the time fighters being given names and they don’t really want to do that. Where do you get that mentality from?

F: I don’t know, to me it’s just you want to fight the best guys. If you want to be the best you got to beat the best. It’s kind of cliché and all, but it’s the truth. I don’t want to go around fighting guys that aren’t so good because I know that that’s not eventually going to get me to the belt.

T: At this point in time with your skills and how they’ve developed, what do you see as your weakest skill set and how do you plan on improving that in 2008?

F: Uh [laughs].

T: I know it’s kind of tough throwing yourself under the bus but…

F: [laughs] Interviews, my interviews I wish my interviews could be better [laughs].

T: Nah man, so far so good. No worries. But for sure you’ve got to get that marketability aspect, like a Melvin Guillard be flamboyant, throw yourself out there you know?

F: [laughs] Yeah, right.

T: Speaking of Melvin, did you get a chance to catch UFC 79 with Melvin’s and Rich Clementi’s fight?

F: I did, I did get to see that man, I did.

T: What did you think about that?

F: Yeah it was entertaining you know, it was funny. I guess they got beef or something I don’t know. I don’t know both of these guys to not like them you know?

T: What we like to do on 5thRound.com is we like to bring on someone and throw out 5 names in your weight class. Let us know the first thing that comes to your mind when I bring up these names aright?

F: [laughs] Alright.

T: Alright man, starting out B.J. Penn.

F: Probably the best in the weight class.

T: Gilbert Melendez.

F: Freakin’ curly hair.

T: [laughs] Alright, alright. Kenny Florian.

F: Um… Ben Stiller [laughs].

T: [laughs] Nice, I haven’t heard that one.

F: [laughs] He looks like Ben Stiller don’t he?

T: Takanori Gomi.

F: Maybe I get to fight him one day hopefully we’ll see if he comes to the UFC.

T: We’ll end it with Sean Sherk.

F: Big neck, he got a big ass neck that dude.

T: Alright well, we mentioned Kenny Florian and a lot of fighters that have gained a lot of popularity coming from the Ultimate Fighter reality show. If an opportunity like that presented itself to you at this point of your career, is that something you would take advantage of?

F: I don’t know, if they thought it would work out I mean maybe. But if it was up to me, nah. I don’t think I would want to do it I think I’m kind of established right now.

T: Alright that’s cool man, we’d like to invite you back as soon as you come to an agreement or anything gets finalized for your next fight.

F: Awesome, thanks a lot man, appreciate it.

T: Just to end it off Frankie, wanted to give you an opportunity to thank anyone you wanted.

F: Yeah, I just want to thank supremeprotein.com, they’ve got delicious protein bars. MMAinstructional.com, it’s a pretty good website you got to check it out and then my website FrankEdgar.com.

We want to thank Frankie for spending some time with us and giving us a heads up on what he’s been up to. We’ll be talking to Frankie again as his fight comes closer.