Frankie Edgar set to have his retirement fight at UFC 281 in New York against Chris Gutierrez

By Josh Evanoff - October 6, 2022

UFC bantamweight contender Frankie Edgar is set for his final fight.

Frankie Edgar

‘The Answer’ has been out of action since his fight with Marlon Vera in New York last November. In that outing, ‘Chito’ scored a sensational comeback head kick knockout to get the victory. The loss was the second in a row for Edgar, who had previously been finished by Cory Sandhagen.

Following the defeat at UFC 268, the former UFC lightweight champion openly debated retirement. However, Edgar didn’t want to retire without having one more fight at Madison Square Garden, in his hometown of New York. It appears that the former champion will get his wish.

Brett Okamoto of ESPN MMA first reported that Frankie Edgar will indeed get his swansong at UFC 281 in November. The contest will be the former champion’s 30th UFC appearance, and he has quite the challenge. Standing opposite the New York native is the rising Chris Gutierrez.

‘El Guapo’ is one of the hottest fighters in the UFC’s bantamweight division. Gutierrez hasn’t lost in his last seven octagon appearances. During that stretch, he’s scored victories over names such as Danaa Batgerel, Andre Ewell, and Vince Morales.

Chris Gutierrez

Furthermore, ESPN MMA confirmed that the bout will be the final of Frankie Edgar’s incredible career. The bantamweight contender rose to prominence in 2010, as he dethroned B.J. Penn to become UFC lightweight champion. He would make several defenses before dropping to 145-pounds in 2013.

There, the former champion proved to be a force, although he didn’t wind up capturing gold. In 2020, Edgar dropped down yet another weight class and showed that he was a contender at bantamweight by defeating Pedro Munhoz.

The addition of the bantamweight clash only bolsters the already great UFC 281 card. The event is set to be headlined by a middleweight title fight between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira.

Are you looking forward to Frankie Edgar’s return? Do you think he’ll win his final fight? Sound off in the comment section below PENN Nation!

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Topics:

Chris Gutierrez Frankie Edgar UFC UFC 281