After much speculation, a lightweight title fight between BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar is official for April 10 at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi.
Penn made the news official today in a video post on his website bjpenn.com. In the short clip, Penn states that he feels Edgar is a well-qualified opponent.
“Edgar is a very good opponent,” Penn states. “He’s got a lot of big wins and he gets after it so I gotta be prepared for someone like Frankie.”
Edgar (11-1) has emerged as the no. 1 contender by going 6-1 in the UFC lightweight division, including notable wins over Tyson Griffin, Hermes Franca, Sean Sherk, and most recently a second round submission victory over Matt Veach.
Edgar’s only professional loss came in 2008 against Gray Maynard, who was also considered for a shot at the title. However, despite Maynard’s undefeated record and recent victory over Nate Diaz, UFC officials felt Edgar was better prepared to face Penn at this point.
Penn (15-5-1) is considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighter’s in the world. Since 2007, the Hawaiian has gone 5-0 in the lightweight division, three-of-which have been title defenses. A former UFC weltwerweight champion, Penn is the only fighter besides Randy Couture to become UFC champion in two different weight classes.
Penn vs. Edgar will take place in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, on April 10, 2010.
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