Sherdog’s Top 10: MMA’s Greatest Overachievers

3. Frankie Edgar

On the one hand, Edgar likely had more natural talent and aptitude for fighting than anyone else on this list. However, not only were most of his achievements in the 2010s, but they occurred in the immensely talent-rich lightweight and featherweight divisions. It's one thing to overachieve and become a world champion during an early era of MMA, or in a weaker weight class, but 145-155 during the 2010s was as skilled and competitive as it gets, and Edgar was still the lightweight champion and for a long time, the second best featherweight. When he first turned pro, Edgar was already a very good wrestler who was developing his skills in BJJ. His striking at the time at the time was still basic and limited, very much a work in progress. However, he had a major handicap in that he was terribly undersized at 155 pounds, even for that era. Also, his profile wasn't unique for the weight class. There were many others similar to him like Joe Stevenson or Diego Sanchez, the latter much larger than Edgar. The first sign that Edgar had more to offer occurred when he faced exactly such an opponent in Tyson Griffin. Both were undefeated prospects with strong wrestling backgrounds standing 5-foot-6, but Griffin was visibly larger, considered the far better wrestler, two years younger, and already had a huge victory over Urijah Faber. Believe it or not, Griffin was a monster -700 favorite for that fight. Yet, it was Edgar who prevailed, showcasing his fantastic cardio and increasingly solid striking. Another big win occurred over former UFC lightweight champ Sean Sherk, where Edgar was once again a huge underdog, with Sherk being valued at -300. Yet again, Edgar won. Not done overcoming the odds, Edgar would pull off one of the greatest upsets in MMA history against reigning lightweight champion and top pound-for-pound talent B.J. Penn, who was a -900 favorite. In that fight, Edgar showed how far his work ethic and brilliant mind could go, not only preparing perfectly for the fight, but consistently making great tactical decisions inside of it. The disrespect wasn't over, as Penn was still a -300 favorite for their immediate rematch. Yet again, Edgar proved himself, winning even more emphatically the second time. Edgar would continue having great success for years to come at lightweight and then featherweight, with only a single man clearly defeating him in his prime—Jose Aldo, who has come up several times in this article and whom I consider the greatest fighter ever. Nevertheless, when your natural talent is merely good, yet only the greatest ever is able to stop you, you've overachieved considerably.

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