Frankie Edgar: Based on Performance, Next Featherweight No. 1 Contender ‘Should Be Me’

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In the days leading up to UFC Fight Night Austin, the popular topic was whether Cub Swanson would receive a title shot with a victory or be bypassed by promotion favorite Conor McGregor.

Frankie Edgar, a former lightweight champion and 145-pound title challenger, was something of a forgotten man. On Saturday night at the Frank Erwin Center, Edgar reminded everyone that he is still very much a contender in the featherweight division.

“The Answer” dominated Swanson for nearly 25 minutes, landing seven takedowns and bloodying the Jackson-Wink MMA representative with punches and elbows while moving to full mount on multiple occasions. The Toms River, N.J., native punctuated his triumph by submitting Swanson with a rear-naked choke 4:56 into the final stanza, the latest finish in UFC history.

Although victory had long since been clinched by the time Edgar elicited the tapout, he felt it was important to make a statement.

“That’s what we do this for. I want to try to put guys away – put a little stamp on it,” Edgar said at the post-fight press conference. “I needed a dominant win if I want to prove to everybody that I deserve that title shot. I want to keep working for that belt, so I found [the finish].”

Edgar doesn’t ever seem to stray very far from title contention. UFC gold was on the line in each of his last six bouts at lightweight, and he debuted at featherweight with a five-round decision defeat to reigning 145-pound ruler Jose Aldo in January 2013. Now, with three straight featherweight triumphs on his resume, the Ricardo Almeida Jiu-Jitsu product could be knocking on the door of another championship opportunity.

While Edgar’s win could clear the way for McGregor to be next in line – provided the Irishman defeats Dennis Siver at UFC Fight Night in Boston on Jan. 18 -- the former champ believes his resume speaks for itself.

“It should be me,” he said. “I think based on performance, based on what I’ve done in my career -- it should be me.”

However, McGregor remains the most highly-ranked challenger that Aldo has yet to face. The other featherweights ranked directly below the Nova Uniao standout – Chad Mendes, Ricardo Lamas, Swanson and Edgar – have already lost to the champion.

Still, Edgar admits that missing out on a title shot following such a convincing performance would be a letdown.

“I don’t know if I’d be angry; I’d be disappointed, but I’m not gonna be a baby,” he said. “What can I do? I put my head down, go back to the gym and earn another shot – that’s all I can do.”

Edgar was not especially outspoken on the subject of McGregor, but he did echo a sentiment already expressed by a few of his divisional brethren: The man known as “Notorious” might be the beneficiary of some favorable matchmaking to help build his brand. Not that Edgar is interested in trying to book McGregor’s next bout.

“It’s not my job to make the fights or anything. I don’t who else was there for him to fight. It’s definitely a good matchup for him,” Edgar said. “I think everybody wants to see him fight a wrestler; there’s still some unknown about him. He’s been doing everything he’s supposed to when he’s in there with whoever he’s in there with.

“I don’t think [Siver is] an easy fight by any means, but it’s not the matchup that everybody wants -- to see him fight a wrestler or see someone who can take him into deep water, but it is what it is.”