"This is a send off he deserves"- 'Big' John McCarthy and Josh Thomson reflect on the legendary career and retirement of UFC Legend Frankie Edgar at MSG 

Former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, who is now competing in the bantamweight division, is set to retire following his UFC 281 bout against Chris Gutierrez in November. John McCarthy and Josh Thomson discussed Edgar's upcoming retirement.

Speaking on their podcast, WEIGHING IN, co-hosts John McCarthy and Josh Thomson shared their thoughts on Frankie Edgar's final UFC fight. McCarthy began:

"This is the send off that he deserves. A big show, a big place, and a guy that's had an incredible career. This is his 30th fight in the UFC."

Thomson added:

"He's done everything. The craziest thing was - and I love Benson Henderson as well, I had Frankie losing the first fight. But I had him winning the second fight... He beats BJ Penn, who's obviously a legend, he's already in the Hall of Fame."

Thomson added that he lived with Edgar while the two fighters were teammates at American Kickboxing Academy and that they remain very close friends. Thomson also claimed that he will be in attendance for Edgar's final fight at UFC 281.

Watch John McCarthy and Josh Thomson discuss Frankie Edgar below (starting at the 35:22 mark):

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Frankie Edgar's legendary career

Frankie Edgar hasn't fought in nearly a year after suffering a brutal front-kick knockout against Marlon Vera at UFC 268.

Prior to losing the lightweight title to Benson Henderson in 2012, Edgar was 15-1-1 with three title defenses. Edgar would go on to lose three consecutive title fights, twice to Henderson at lightweight and once to Jose Aldo at featherweight. He then rattled off a five-fight win streak before facing Aldo in a losing effort for the interim featherweight title in 2016.

Edgar got one more featherweight title shot in 2019 but lost to Max Holloway by unanimous decision. After such a strong start to his career, Edgar's record is 9-9 over the past ten years. He enters UFC 281 having lost four of his last five fights and clearly a shell of the fighter he used to be.

Despite rough stretches over the past few years, Edgar's prime run, as well as his willingness to fight the toughest opponents, has cemented his legacy.

Check out some of the opponents Edgar has faced in his career: