Edgar on GDR refusing to fight Cyborg: It’s fear
Frankie Edgar: “It’s fear. USADA is in place now. For me, I would fight whether they’re doing steroids or not.”
UFC women’s featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie had been outside the top 10 at bantamweight, and won the belt by beating former 135 champ Holly Holm, who had been on a two-fight losing streak, now three. The bizarre fight came about when the UFC decided Cris Cyborg was never going to be able to make 135, and decided to go with a 145 division, but Cyborg was so debilitated from the previous attempts that she was unable to fight immediately.
Then one of the drugs Cyborg had been prescribed by her physician to restore the normal functioning of her endocrine system was flagged by an anti-doping test. She was eventually issued a retroactive Therapeutic Use Exemption, and now is ready to fight.
However, de Randamie now says that because of suspicions about Cyborg’s PED use, she wants to go back to 135. The hardcore fanbase reacted something like this:
Now during a recent media scrum, former UFC lightweight champion and current featherweight contender Frankie Edgar has said it.
That’s crazy to me,” said Edgar. “She just doesn’t want to fight Cyborg, that’s what it comes down to. At 35 she’s not getting easy fights there either, so if I was her, I would at least fight for one more title fight. You never know, you might never get a chance to do that again.
It’s fear. USADA is in place now. For me, I would fight whether they’re doing steroids or not. I’m a fighter and that’s what I signed up to do this sport. I guess she had different plans though.
The UFC may have very different plans for the entire women’s featherweight division. During the recent Ultimate Fighter 26 tryouts, UFC president Dana White said he had recently made the decision to add a women’s 125-pound division, and followed up with a line that was likely not an error.
I think there’s enough talented women to make three good divisions,” said White.
That would seem to indicate that he is dubious there is sufficient talent for four women’s divisions at present. If so, that would mean that the women’s featherweight division goes on the back burner for the time being. White has however said that Cyborg will be getting a UFC fight. If the DA does not charge her with anything serious for punching Angela Magana in the face at the Athlete Retreat.