History will be made on October 13 when former UFC lightweight king Frankie Edgar steps into the Octagon to fight at 145 pounds against divisional champion Jose Aldo at UFC 153, making ?The Answer? the first man to ever drop down and compete in a second consecutive title-bout at a new weight. The match-up was made as a result of original top contender Erik Koch going down with an undisclosed injury.
The show is scheduled for Rio de Janeiro and is highlighted by other offerings such as Quinton Jackson-Glover Teixeira and Jon Fitch-Erick Silva.
MMAJunkie was first to report the change in card.
?Obviously, we?ve had a rough couple of weeks here at the UFC, and then sure enough, I walk in to work today, and Erik Koch is hurt. But Frankie Edgar, being the stud and the warrior that he is, steps up and accepts this fight,? said UFC President Dana White in a follow-up conversation with the outlet.
Koch also confirmed things, taking to Twitter to post his sheer disappointment at the development while thanking fans for their support.
Aldo Wants to Send Edgar Back to Lightweight
Edgar was last seen taking 155-pound champ Benson Henderson the distance only to come up short in a Split Decision. He is 14-3-1 in his career with victories over a number of respected adversaries such as Tyson Griffin, Sean Sherk, Gray Maynard, and BJ Penn.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
TweetPer Eklund Jason Ellis Aleksander Emelianenko Fedor Emelianenko
