Written By: Kevin Early
Finally, we come to my number two man. His name? Number Two Frankie Edgar.
Dana White called Frankie Edgar the "number two pound for pound fighter in the world" after Edgar's dramatic victory. Edgar was able to avenge his only loss by TKOing Gray Maynard at UFC 136.
White is known for overstating a fighter after a recent compelling win, but after surfing the forums, people actually believe this. While I believe Frankie Edgar is a great fighter and is in the conversation of top pound for pound fighters, he is not second by any means.
The reason Dana White, and some UFC fans, are convinced Edgar is the number two pound for pound fighter is the fact that Edgar is an undersized lightweight. He comes in around 145 lbs when most lightweights are 155. What does that even have to do with it?
A person's weight has nothing to do with his pound for pound ranking. In fact, the reason people say pound for pound is to disregard weight so they can compare fighters in different weight classes. For example, an average 205 lb fighter would beat the hell out of Frankie Edgar, or at least have a huge advantage, but that does not mean he is better. Pound for pound disregards the match up between the two fighters and only looks at the fighters' accomplishments, such as who they have beaten, in what fashion and who they have lost to.
The definition of pound for pound in reference to combat sports is listed as this in Wikipedia: "a fighter's value in relation to fighters of different weight classes. As these fighters do not compete directly judging the best fighter pound for pound is subjective and ratings vary. They may be based on a range of criteria including quality of opposition, factors such as how exciting the fighter is or how famous they are, or be an attempt to determine who would win if all the those ranked were the same size."
Edgar's win is not more important because Gray Maynard is 10 pounds heavier. Gray already has a win over Edgar and had him hurt in their last fight too. George St. Pierre is without a doubt the number two pound for pound fighter in the world. With six title defenses to Edgar's one, I do not even understand where Dana White is coming from. I also consider Dominick Cruz and Jose Aldo better pound for pound fighters than Edgar.
St. Pierre only has two losses in his 18 UFC fights and he has avenged both of them. He has been ranked number two for a while now, although I think that will change when he loses to Carlos Condit! Frankie Edgar has tons of heart and is definitely an elite fighter. He could soon become one of the greats, capturing a top spot on the pound for pound list but he is not there yet.
