(CNN Philippines) — With the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) finally hosting its very first fight in the Philippines on Saturday (May 16) at the Mall of Asia Arena, we take a look at the two men headlining the event: Frankie Edgar and Urijah Faber.
The main event will be a non-title featherweight match between two of the most explosive fighters at the weight class in a clash that could possibly open the door for a shot at a UFC title.
Frankie Edgar
Simply put, Frankie “The Answer” Edgar enters the octagon in Manila favored to win over the more senior Faber.
Since losing to Jose Aldo in 2013, Edgar has been manhandling everyone in his path, beating Charles Oliviera, BJ Penn, and Cub Swanson along the way.
Edgar has made a reputation for being a well-rounded fighter with a strong wrestling background and strike game founded on boxing combinations and footwork.
If some consider the two fighters at par with each other in terms of grappling, it is at striking where Edgar holds the advantage.
At the featherweight level, Edgar is able to utilize his wrestling effectively and showcase a variety of takedown moves.
Once on the ground, Edgar will look to pound his opponents with ferocious strikes instead of forcing a submission.
Urijah Faber
Despite coming in as the underdog, it would be foolish to discount the ability, experience, and the toughness of “The California Kid”.
For Faber, this marks his return to the featherweight division for the first time in five years.
It was at the featherweight division that Faber dominated the World Extreme Cagefighting and lorded over the title with five successful defenses before the promotion merged with the UFC in 2010.
After falling short on three attempts to win a UFC title, Faber is hungry to take another crack at the gold and a victory here will open the doors for him.
With speed and athleticism, Faber will look to try and bring the opposition to ground and assert his dominance.
Faber excels in submission and will look to lock Edgar in a signature guillotine choke hold once the opportunity presents itself with 53-percent of his wins coming from submissions.
Being 36 years old at the time of the fight, this might be Faber’s last chance at becoming a contender for the title.
