Conor McGregor is likely to get the next featherweight title shot with a win over Dennis Siver in January, but Saturday night in Austin, Texas, Frankie Edgar made it clear that he’s the one who should be next in line for a title shot.
“The Answer” used reactive takedowns to ground Cub Swanson in every round, pouring on the punishment once he put the surging contender on the canvas en route to turning in what was arguably the most dominant performance of his career. After battering Swanson throughout the middle three stanzas, Edgar continued with more of the same in the fifth before ultimately forcing the Team Jackson-Winkeljohn fighter to tap with just a handful of seconds remaining on the clock.
Listen: McGregor carries more buzz and the UFC put him on the fast track to a title shot following his first victory, so they’re not going to press pause now — not if he beats Siver. That said, Edgar’s performance on Saturday coupled with his superior track record trumps what “The Notorious” has managed to this point and a win over Siver isn’t going to change that.
Of course, none of that matters because Edgar mostly likely won’t get the next crack at the champion, so who should he fight instead?
That’s the problem – there is no one else who makes sense for Edgar at this stage beyond Aldo.
Theoretically, Ricardo Lamas works, but there is (a) no reason to potentially saddle him with a loss after a stunning finish of Dennis Bermudez a week ago and (b) if he beats Edgar, Lamas would be the clear No. 1 contender, but he just fought for the title last February, so that’s not going to work. Same goes for a potential pairing with Chad Mendes.
This is where booking McGregor against Siver in a stay-busy fight stings – it takes two options off the table without creating any new opportunities in the division because McGregor won’t be made to fight Edgar after a win, unless Aldo gets hurt.
That leaves Edgar with limited options – Dustin Poirier after he picks up a win, Nik Lentz in a fight that does little for him, the Charles Oliveira/Jeremy Stephens winner that really makes more sense for Lamas next.
It’s a quandary, no doubt about it, and one that Edgar clearly understands. If you saw the look on his face at Saturday’s post-fight press conference, it said, “I should get the next shot, but I won’t and there is nothing else that makes sense for me.”
And he’s absolutely right.
Here’s a look at what could come next for the rest of Saturday’s main card winners.
Edson Barboza vs. Michael Johnson
Barboza looked good picking up a decision win against Bobby Green in Austin and moves into the Top 10 with the victory. “The Menace” has been out since edging Melvin Guillard in March and needs a potential momentum-builder before diving into the deep end. Winner gets a Top 5 opponent.
Chico Camus vs. Kyoji Horiguchi
After earning a split decision win over Brad Pickett in his divisional debut, there is no reason to nurse Camus along – stick him in there with someone tough again and see what he’s got. Horiguchi is a rising star in the division, so the winner of this would get a big push. Camus is the kind of tough, active fighter who could give the Japanese prospect fits. Or he could get steamrolled. Both are workable outcomes going forward, regardless of who wins. Book it!
Oleksiy Oliynyk vs. Matt Mitrione/Gabriel Gonzaga winner
The Russian veteran clipped and clobbered Jared Rosholt to pick up his 50th career win on Saturday night. With two victories in two tries under the UFC banner, he’s earned a fight with one of the division’s numerous veterans who reside in the lower third of the rankings. “Meathead” and “Napao” chuck knuckles on the December FOX show in Phoenix, so the timelines work and the winner gets into range of a Top 7-10 opponent.
Joseph Benavidez vs. Wilson Reis
This one doesn’t necessarily make sense from a rankings perspective – Benavidez is No. 2; Reis is No. 15 – but the Brazilian pissed off the Team Alpha Male standout by suggesting the matchup on Twitter following Benavidez’s dominant win over Dustin Ortiz and the two-time title challenger was happy to accept the challenge on the spot. Four-to-six months from now, Reis will regret that tweet.
Matt Wiman vs. Rustam Khabilov/Danny Castillo winner
Wiman looked good, not great returning to the cage with a win over Isaac Vallie-Flagg after nearly two years off, so finding the right landing spot for him next time out is crucial. A meeting with the winner of Khabilov/Castillo makes sense – they’ll be at the bottom end of the rankings and are both established tough outs. That’s the type of fight he needs next after getting a solid comeback win in Austin.