Issue 167

April 2018

Brian Ortega unloads with an uppercut to finish Frankie Edgar for the first time.

There have been several times during Frankie Edgar’s career where he has seemed indestructible. No matter the damage he has absorbed, he’s always managed to stay in fights.

Many times, he’s also come back to win.

But at UFC 222, for the first time in almost 30 fights, he was put down and finished.

Even his conqueror, Brian Ortega, admits that if ‘The Answer’ was going to get stopped at by him, an accomplished BJJ black belt, he’d be tapping. “I think the whole world thought I was going to get a submission,” ‘T-City’ tells FO. “No one thought this was going to happen.”

It seemed even less likely once the bout started and Edgar looked to be in fine form.

He was fighting on the front foot, landing more strikes and slipping punches.

His boxing was looking as good as ever and he was happy to keep it up to avoid going to the ground with a grappling specialist.

But Ortega was ice cool, as usual, and changed the complexion of the fight in an instant to set up an incredible finish…

STEP 1: UP CLOSE

“He stayed in my face and I realised he’s not going to be afraid of my punches. Because he was so close, I wasn’t going to be able to land a punch flush.”

STEP 2: STRIKE CLOSE

“When he came in again I threw that left elbow and it landed perfectly.”

STEP 3: MOMENT OF TRUTH

“I was attacking and he was leaning forward, and I could tell his eyes weren’t there, so I put my hand on his shoulder and let that uppercut rip.”

STEP 4: KILLER BLOW

“I thought it was just a regular uppercut until I went back and saw the highlights and I was like, ‘Woah!’”