Whoops! Frankie Edgar forced to ‘clarify’ sparring statements to avoid wrath of NSAC

When Frankie Edgar got creamed by Brian Ortega at the UFC 222 pay-per-view (PPV) event earlier this month in Las Vegas, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) suspended “The Answer” until April 18.

Part of that medical timeout included (read it) a “no contact” clause until April 3, which means Edgar is not allowed to take any blows during training camp. It’s one of those rules that works on the honor system, since it would be impossible for NSAC to monitor a fighter inside the gym.

But then Edgar overshared during an interview to promote his featherweight return and revealed he was sparring three times a week. That suggests he was giving — and receiving — shots with his coach and sparring partners.

Probably not the kind of thing NSAC wants to hear.

“In an interview I did this week I said I have been sparring,” Edgar wrote on Twitter. “I just want to clarify that the sparring I’ve been doing did not include head shots and has been technical drilling sessions.”

Riiiiight.

Edgar raised a few eyebrows by agreeing to get back into action on April 23, just three days after his suspension expries, to rematch Cub Swanson at the upcoming UFC Fight Night 128 event in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Another “crazy” decision?

That remains to be seen, but the issue of brain trauma is not going away anytime soon and at age 36, the 22-6-1 Edgar is eventually going to start facing some hard questions about the future of his combat sports career.