Monday Morning Hangover: What’s next for Frankie Edgar after suffering first-ever stoppage loss at UFC 222?

Another weekend of fisticuffs has come and gone, as UFC 222 blew the roof off T-Mobile Arena this past Saturday night (March 3, 2018) in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Plenty of fighters were left licking their wounds, including Yana Kunitskaya, who was beat around by Cris Cyborg in the main event of the evening en route to a first-round knockout loss (see it again here). And, Stefan Struve, who suffered his second straight defeat, this time at the hands of Andrei Arlovski (recap).

But which fighter is suffering from the worst post-fight hangover, now two days removed from the show?

Frankie Edgar.

After Max Holloway suffered an unfortunate injury three weeks prior to their Featherweight title fight, which was set to headline UFC 222, Edgar opted to remain on the card and take on any and all comers, rather than to wait (yet again) for a title fight against “Blessed” to get rebooked.

It was an admirable move to say the least, as most would’ve continued to play the waiting game in order to hold on to his or her title fight, which can be petty hard to come by. But, Edgar hasn’t competed since May of 2017, and 10 months is a long time to go without collecting a paycheck.

Still, it wasn’t just for the check, as Frankie is as game as they come and he’s a fighter’s fighter. It’s what he does. When it was all said and done, Brian Ortega was pegged to face the former UFC Lightweight champion of the world in a three-round fight. A challenge “The Answer” accepted at the drop of the hat.

Unfortunately for Edgar, the result wasn’t what he was looking for.

From the jump, it was clear Ortega’s size was going to give the former champ fits, who was keen on using his well-known stick-and-move tactics to get his offense going. Fast forward to the tail end of the fight, Ortega clipped Edgar with a well-placed standing elbow to the face, rocking the former 155-pound champion. A few seconds later, Frankie was on the receiving end of a vicious uppercut that literally knocked him off his feet. Ortega then followed it up with two-fight ending hammer fists, handing Edgar his first-ever stoppage loss (recap).

Think about that for a second: That’s 13 years in the hurt business without ever getting submitted or knocked out. And that’s not counting his amateur career. Indeed, it’s a huge feather in Ortega’s cap, but it’s a big blow for Frankie, who also lost his title shot to “T-City.”

Something that wasn’t lost on Holloway, or Conor McGregor.

So what’s next for Edgar after such a tough loss? It’s tough to say, but if I had to venture a guess, a rematch against Cub Swanson could be in order. Cub is coming off a loss to Ortega, as well, and I’m sure he’d love nothing more than to get one back on “The Answer” after getting submitted by him back in 2014. It may not be what Frankie wants, but if he aims to start his road back to the title, he has to begin somewhere.

Do you have a better idea?