Former UFC lightweight champion Frank Edgar had his return from retirement cut short after BKFC cancelled his debut.
Edgar, 44, was scheduled to face former UFC bantamweight contender Jimmie Rivera at BKFC 82, but the bout will no longer take place. Edgar has dealt with health issues since suffering three consecutive knockout losses late in his UFC career. BKFC president David Feldman admitted that Edgar’s debut was always uncertain due to his prior medical history.
“I went up to watch him spar and I’m completely sold on it. 100 percent,” Feldman told MMA Fighting. “It’s a different Frankie Edgar. It’s a light-on-his-feet Frankie Edgar. It’s a volume-punching Frankie Edgar. It’s a hard-punching Frankie Edgar. I saw everything I needed to see.”
However, after further consideration, Feldman confirmed that the promotion decided to pull Frank Edgar from the card.
“After further review with our medical officer, we decided that Frankie Edgar was not going to compete this Saturday,” Feldman said. “We’re going to look into it and see what his future looks like, but he will not be competing this Saturday.”
When BKFC announced plans to hold an event in New Jersey, Edgar’s interest grew, and he signed a contract to make his return despite concerns from his family and friends about him fighting again.
“My wife was a little concerned with me doing this as well,” Edgar told MMA Fighting in September. “I’ve been doing this for so long, it’s tough to walk away. I’m not going into this naïve. I understand the risks. I’m willing to take that chance, I guess you could say. The juice has got to be worth the squeeze and I feel like it is.
“They were all a little against it honestly. I got my wife on board maybe. Maybe she’s not happy about it, but she ain’t going to leave me, I guess. That’s a plus. The kids, my boys kind of understand it. My daughter definitely is not too cool with it but one more time and we’ll see how it goes.”
Following the announcement, Frank Edgar has yet to release a statement, but Rivera remains on the card and will now face replacement opponent Timmy Mason.
