It's On: "The Answer" Vs. "The Prodigy"

MMAFighting has confirmed that Frankie Edgar will be B.J Penn's next challenger for the UFC lightweight championship.  The rumored target for the title fight is the upcoming UFC 112 event in Abu Dhabi in April.

Although Edgar is a great fighter and a top UFC lightweight, I'm rather indifferent to the news; perhaps because I can't help but think of the way Gray Maynard manhandled Edgar at UFN 13.  "The Answer" did bounce back with some nimble footwork and improved boxing to earn decisions over Hermes Franca and Sean Sherk, and choked out Matt Veach most recently at the TUF 10 Finale.

Before bumping into "The Bully", who served up Edgar's only loss, the New Jersey fighter tore through a reputable list of UFC names in Spencer Fisher, Tyson Griffin, and Mark Bocek.  His two wins before stepping onto the big stage also deserve mention:  Edgar snared a decision over Jim Miller, who later joined Edgar on the UFC roster, and scrapper Deividas Taurosevicius, who now has two WEC fights under his belt.

Frankie Edgar is also not the largest lightweight.  At 5'6", he'll be faced with a size and reach disadvantage against Penn, who is a lanky 5'9".  Edgar does have a tight boxing game that continues to advance, and his footwork and his movement have been looking sharp.  He's explosive, agile, and his wrestling and takedowns are fast and effective.

Comparing Penn's past opponents, Edgar doesn't seem to bring anything drastically superior, and he'll be amongst the smallest fighters that Penn has faced. That being said, he's deserving of a crack at Penn considering the swathe of contenders that the champ has already toppled, and since Maynard still seems to be hesitant to face Penn, I can't think of anyone else who should be in line ahead of him.