Frankie Edgar is impressed that 37-year-old Alexander Volkanovski “literally beat Father Time” but wants the UFC featherweight champion to remain cautious about his future.
UFC Hall of Famer Edgar already thinks Volkanovski (28-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) did the unthinkable. After consecutive losses to Islam Makhachev and Ilya Topriya, the Australian made a comeback to regain the 145-pound title and defend it against Diego Lopez at UFC 325 in Sydney on Saturday.
advertise
When Edgar faced Jose Aldo at UFC 156 in February 2023, he tried to win the title after losing consecutively — albeit by decision, rather than knockout — but he couldn’t.
“I wanted to try it myself,” Edgar told MMA Junkie. “The fact that he accomplished it, it’s cool to say this can happen. That applies to all these fighters. You see a guy accomplish it once and you think, ‘Okay, this is achievable.'” He certainly inspired a lot of people. “
But how far can Volkanovski push the envelope? Edgar said he would rather not know. He understands that the next few games may represent the most significant earning potential of Volkanovski’s career, but that would jeopardize not only his health, but his legacy.
“Honestly, I hope Volkanovski can say, ‘I’m out, I’m going to leave as a champion,'” Edgar said. “Because who can do that right now? No one. Unfortunately, not many people get flowers in this sport and he’s in a position where he can do it. I totally understand why he wouldn’t want to do it because he’s still competing and is the best in the world.”
advertise
Edgar never got the chance to share the Octagon with Volkanovski, but he did face many of the elite fighters of his era at 145 pounds, fighting for the belt twice with Aldo and once with Max Holloway.
Volkanovski has an overall record of 4-0 against Aldo and Holloway in his career, but those are the names that will come up in the debate of the greatest featherweight in UFC history. For Edgar, it was an immeasurable gauge.
“It’s very difficult to pick goats in these weight classes,” Edgar said. “I think in my era, it was without a doubt Aldo. Without a doubt. And then the next era, without a doubt it was Alex. That’s what you have to do. Even though they fought against each other, they fought against each other at completely different stages of their careers, so it’s hard to compare those two guys.”
If Volkanovski doesn’t retire (and it looks like he won’t), then Edgar does see an opportunity for “The Great” to further enhance his legacy. All signs point to March’s UFC Fight Night 270 main event between undefeated contenders Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy, which Edgar sees as a huge potential opportunity for Volkanovski’s resume.
advertise
“I think it will, because he’s a little older now and if he goes up against these young guys, he’ll start to get into the next generation,” Edgar said. “I think if he can do that, it just shows how strong he is.”
For more from Edgar, check out his full appearance on “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC legend Frankie Edgar wants Alexander Volkanovski to retire
