• UFC

Edgar wants Maynard but is happy to rematch Penn

ESPN staff
April 21, 2010
Frankie Edgar has only lost to Gray Maynard in his MMA career © Getty Images
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Newly-crowned UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar has confessed he would rather fight Gray Maynard than BJ Penn in the first defence of his crown.

Edgar is expected to rematch Penn in a bout unofficially scheduled for August 28, after he dethroned "The Prodigy" following a two-year spell as champion at UFC 112. Negotiations over the rematch have already been confirmed by both fighters, although nothing has been made concrete.

For Edgar, a second fight with Penn makes sense due to the legendary status of the former champion, but logically he wants to fight Gray Maynard - the only man to have put a blot on his 13-fight copybook.

"I really wouldn't mind fighting Gray (Maynard) just to avenge that loss," Edgar told MMAWeekly Radio. "Not that there's any love lost or anything like that, but just for the fact of it's just the chance to avenge the loss.

"If it's B.J, it's B.J. If anybody deserves a rematch right away I guess it would be him."

It is expected that Edgar and Penn will renew acquaintances at UFC 118, on a card that would also feature a battle between Maynard and Kenny Florian to establish a clear No. 1 contender. And Edgar's private life makes the August 28 date seem more than possible.

"I think late summer would be cool. My wife is actually due to give birth in June, mid to early June, something like that, so late summer would be okay."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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