Frankie Edgar fights Yair Rodriguez at the tremendous UFC 211 on May 13, 2017 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. ‘El Pantera’ is on a six-fight win streak in the UFC, winning a performance bonus in three of the past four fights. Rodriquez is ranked #7 in the division, while Edgar is the #2 ranked contender, just behind interim champion Max Holloway and champion Jose Aldo.

If Rodriguez wins he gets a title shot, and if he loses he is still ranked #7 in the division. If Edgar wins he probably gets a title shot especially if Holloway wins, but if Edgar loses, he falls. Still, Edgar is not entering the Rodriguez fight with a title shot on his mind.

“It’s easy to block out because if I don’t get the job done on the 13th none of that talk matters,” said Edgar to Duane Finley, senior editor for FloCombat. “In order to stay in that talk I have to do my job. I have to get my hand raised next Saturday and that’s the only thing I’m focused on.

“Given the style Yair brings to the table I think we addressed everything we needed to. Come fight night I don’t think I’m going to see anything we haven’t prepared for.”

“I still care about the outcome of the fight a great deal just as much as I did in my first fight. … They say in this sport you’re either an athlete, a martial artist or a fighter. I’m a fighter first…hands down. I’ve become an athlete and a martial artist during this process, but the dog is in me and that’s who I am. That’s who I’ll always be.”

“My motivation is the guy who is standing in my way who says he’s going to beat me and says he’s going to knock me out. He’s saying it just like the last f***ing twenty guys said they were going to do. That’s who I’m going to prove wrong. I’ll be there ready to go in Dallas. Let’s do it.”