Frankie Edgar revealed he nearly closed the door on competing altogether following a frustrating experience with BKFC. The former UFC champion admitted he was upset with how things played out in bare-knuckle boxing.
Frankie Edgar came close to walking away from combat sports entirely after a disappointing foray into bare-knuckle boxing, the former UFC champion revealed in a recent interview.
Edgar, 44, admitted he was upset with how his time with the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship played out, and that the frustrating experience nearly convinced him to retire from competing altogether. He stopped short of detailing exactly what went wrong, but made clear the venture left him disillusioned.
The New Jersey native carries a professional MMA record of 23-11-1 and remains one of the most accomplished fighters of his generation. A former UFC lightweight champion who also competed at featherweight and bantamweight, Edgar built his reputation on relentless pressure, sharp footwork, and a durable chin. Standing five-foot-six with a 68-inch reach, he averaged 3.77 significant strikes landed per minute across his career while mixing in 2.29 takedowns per 15 minutes — a blend of offense that made him a nightmare matchup throughout the 2010s. He trains out of Ricardo Almeida Jiu-Jitsu and has fought out of an orthodox stance throughout his career.
Why it matters
- Edgar is 44 years old, making any retirement decision a significant and potentially permanent one for a fighter at that stage of his career.
- His candor about the BKFC experience raises questions about the future direction of his competitive life, whether in MMA, boxing, or elsewhere.
- As a former divisional champion with lasting name recognition, any comeback or official retirement announcement carries weight across the sport.
