Frankie Edgar secured an enormous victory underneath the Actual American Freestyle banner that transpired on July 18th at RAF 11, getting the choice over Clay Guida. The wrestling conflict between the pair of UFC Corridor of Famers was a very long time coming, and when reflecting upon the large takeaways from that RAF 11 win in opposition to ‘The Carpenter’, Edgar stated [via Bowks Talking Bouts],
“It was nice to get on the market, be on the successful aspect. Clay is a legend within the sport. Tremendous good man. Clearly been associates with Clay for fairly a while. It’s type of loopy that we by no means crossed paths till now, but it surely was good to combine it up with him.”
‘The Reply’ has a broader journey that’s rooted on this self-discipline, the place his stepdad Frank influenced him to take to the mats. When relating how there may be now knowledgeable circuit for this sport, which wasn’t accessible throughout his newbie wrestling come-up days, Frankie Edgar said [via Bowks Talking Bouts],
“No, completely. That is an superior alternative for younger wrestlers and previous wrestlers like myself [laughs]. So it’s cool to type of put the wrestling on that essential stage. It’s actually, actually selecting up and getting actually fashionable. I do know the wrestling neighborhood has been ready for one thing like this for a very very long time.”
Edgar had 120 matches at Clarion and had a number of years of qualifying for nationals at a juncture the place there wasn’t that pipeline to stepping into doing this professionally thereafter. It was about changing into an MMA fighter or stepping into teaching wrestling, predominantly. When delving into how Actual American Freestyle is paving this newer type of lane for wrestlers to proceed inside their given discipline, Frankie Edgar quipped [via Bowks Talking Bouts],
“Yeah, completely. I had a pair affords to do some grad positions in school however I simply type of; wrestling in the mean time left a foul style in my mouth. Clearly didn’t accomplish my targets so I type of was seeking to pivot and clearly discovered MMA. However I ponder if RAF was round, I could have caught round a little bit bit.”
Frankie Edgar on RAF: I might positively make “a little bit run right here”
Additionally, Edgar’s son wrestled on the 2026 US Open, and when it was talked about how we might probably get Santino Edgar there in RAF sooner or later in time, Frankie Edgar stated [via Bowks Talking Bouts],
“Yeah, hey we’ll see [laughs]. He’s on the correct path.”
By way of different familial items throughout the sport, Edgar’s cousin was a wrestler, too. When referencing his children getting concerned in wrestling and if that resonates as a cool generational, lineage aspect for him, Frankie Edgar said [via Bowks Talking Bouts],
“No, completely. Each my sons wrestle and my daughter, she wrestled final in a match final week really. So she has some curiosity, type of out and in a little bit bit. However looks like she’s diving again in proper now. So, it’s cool to get the entire household concerned.”
As a former UFC light-weight champion who has since hung up the gloves, the need to compete doesn’t waver, even when that call is made. After a controversial BKFC signing ended up not coming to fruition, and relating how a lot completely different the discourse was for the ex-UFC vet dropping the gloves as in comparison with the sentiment with him donning the singlet on the RAF mats, Edgar quipped [via Bowks Talking Bouts],
“It positively scratches that itch. I positively love competing and I like preventing. If I didn’t age, I’d do it ceaselessly. what I imply? But it surely’s positively a younger man’s sport and even wrestling is just not an previous; it’s not designed for us previous guys. But it surely’s a little bit bit extra forgiving for the mind and the physique. I suppose harm and whatnot. The wrestling is hard on the physique. So long as I get the correct opponents I believe I might make positively a little bit run right here.”
