Sherdog’s Top 10: MMA’s Most Dangerous Weapons

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9. Frankie Edgar’s Resolve

It might seem strange at first to call resolve a weapon, but highlights from Edgar’s 2011 bouts against Gray Maynard prove otherwise. Twice the UFC lightweight champion appeared to be on the brink of defeat against Maynard, and twice the New Jersey native battled all the way back to retain his title -- once via split draw and once via fourth-round knockout. Not bad for a guy whose biggest claim to fame early in his career was appearing on an episode of MTV’s “True Life.”

At UFC 125, Maynard blasted Edgar with a left hook that had the champion in retreat mode for most of the opening round. On more than one occasion, Edgar looked to be finished, but he survived. By the time the bout entered the championship rounds, it seemed like the first five minutes had never happened. “The Answer” could not do enough to pull out an improbable victory, but a rematch was inevitable.

Ten months later, Maynard began UFC 136 much like he did in their first encounter, battering Edgar over the course of a dominating opening five minutes. Again “The Bully” slowed, and, this time, Edgar left nothing to chance, finishing the contest with strikes in the fourth round. Critics who once doubted Edgar’s ability to succeed at lightweight were now praising him for his heart and determination. There is no quit in Edgar, and that is a dangerous weapon indeed.

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