UFC legend Frankie Edgar explains decision to end retirement ahead of BKFC debut: "I said I’d never fight again"

Frankie Edgar recently addressed coming out of retirement to make his Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) debut in October. The UFC legend claimed that he was highly intrigued by the concept of bare-knuckle boxing and couldn't pass up on the opportunity to compete in the BKFC.

Edgar is a former UFC lightweight champion who also competed in the featherweight and bantamweight divisions. After a long and illustrious career, Edgar retired from active competition after losing to Chris Gutierrez via first-round KO at UFC 281 in November 2022, his third consecutive loss at bantamweight. He called it a career with a professional MMA record of 24-11-1.

However, it appears 'The Answer' is ready to fight again after a three-year hiatus. He's set to face fellow UFC veteran Jimmie Rivera at BKFC New Jersey in October. Ahead of his return, Edgar addressed ending his retirement at a BKFC presser and said:

"You know, we're in [New] Jersey, you guys came here. It's hard to pass up. As soon as I saw this sport, I was very intrigued. I'm a fighter. This is probably the 'fightiest' of all combat sports... I had to try it out... I used to fight for free at Seaside with no gloves, why not get paid to do it here?"

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He continued:

"I said I would never fight again, but here I am."

When Frankie Edgar claimed MMA was safer than boxing and football for brain health

In 2018, Frankie Edgar addressed athletes suffering from brain trauma during active competition and claimed that MMA fighters were safer than boxers or NFL players.

Speaking to journalist Kevin Iole in an interview, Edgar pointed out that KO'd fighters don't have to continue fighting, unlike boxers or other athletes and said:

"I do think MMA is safer than both football and boxing. I just think the medicals and just the way they stop fights. In boxing, you get rocked, you get an eight count. They ask you, ‘Are you good to fight?’ You're a fighter, you're going to say, ’Yes, I’m good to fight.’ [MMA fighters], we don’t get that chance. We get rocked, we don’t get a chance to come back. Our brain shuts off, and the ref stops it. So I think that’s a little bit safer."

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Edited by Nishant Zende.