Frankie Edgar gave the previous two opponents he defeated a rematch to settle the score once and for all. He defeated B.J. Penn twice and went 1-0-1 against Gray Maynard. It’s only fitting that Saturday night Edgar gets a chance to avenge his loss to Benson Henderson and regain his UFC lightweight title.
Edgar (14-2-1) of Toms River, N.J., lost the belt when Henderson (15-2) won a five-round decision at UFC 144 on Feb. 25 in Japan. The two meet again tonight at UFC 150 in Denver. Though Edgar called their first matchup “a close fight,” he said he’s “totally past that last one,” and is focusing on improving enough to earn a victory tonight.
“I felt I did a good job in the stand-up,” Edgar said. “I landed more punches. Maybe I can capitalize on those a little better.”
Long and strong, Henderson is the most versatile fighter Edgar has faced. His kicks are constant and can be devastating. Edgar’s left eye was nearly closed by the end of their first fight and Henderson busted up Edgar’s nose with a kick from off his back. The stream of blood may have impacted the judges’ scoring.
“My nose bleeds pretty much every fight,” Edgar said. “But he has a pretty good up-kick. I got lazy in leading with my head and made a technical mistake. It’s something I don’t usually do.”
Edgar has spent nearly two weeks training in Colorado Springs to get acclimated to the altitude. He held the UFC lightweight for nearly two years and said “it’s not fun,” not being the champion.
“You get comfortable when you’re the champ,” he said. “It’s something you don’t want to relinquish, especially in that fashion. I’m looking forward to getting back the title.”
george.willis@nypost.com