Frankie Edgar will make his first appearance as a bantamweight at a UFC Fight Night in Raleigh, N.C., facing division standout Cory Sandhagen. The fight is expected to serve as the co-main event of the Jan. 25 fight card.
Multiple sources confirmed the matchup to MMA Fighting on Wednesday following an initial report from ESPN. At this time, the UFC has not made an official announcement regarding the fight, but both sides have agreed to the bout.
The fight serves as a fresh start for Edgar, who moves down to 135 pounds for the first time in his career after previously reigning as UFC lightweight champion and competing for the featherweight title on three occasions.
Edgar is coming off a unanimous decision loss in his last outing when he fell to reigning UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway back in July. Following that fight, Edgar signaled his intention to move down in weight, but then agreed to a fight with former two-division champ Conor McGregor. When the bout did not materialize, he finalized the decision to drop to 135 pounds, seeking to add another UFC title to his resume.
Edgar faces a tough test for his divisional debut against Sandhagen, who’s been hailed as one of the best prospects at bantamweight.
Sandhagen is currently 12-1 in his career with five straight wins in the UFC, including victories over John Lineker and Raphael Assuncao in his two most recent fights.
Edgar vs. Sandhagen joins a growing UFC Fight Night card headed to North Carolina. Former champion Junior dos Santos is expected to face Curtis Blaydes in the heavyweight main event.
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