Frankie Edgar narrowly edged out Pedro Munhoz by split decision in a back-and-forth battle with Pedro Munhoz tonight in the main event of UFC On ESPN 15.
Round One:
The bantamweight main event of the evening is underway in Las Vegas.
Munhoz fires off a wide hook and then a leg kick. Edgar faking a takedown attempt. Leg kick for Munhoz knocks Edgar off-balance.
Edgar with a swift flurry of punches. He lands again with quick hands. Munhoz steps into a big punch. Edgar looking more for volume in his offense.
Nice single punch for Edgar and then back to the quick flash of hands from the former lightweight champion.
Jab from Munhoz and then backs away from a kick. Leg kick from Munhoz. Right hand for Edgar. Good left hand from Munhoz now after setting it up with the right.
Leg kicks exchaned. Glancing left hand from Munhoz and then a right. Right gets through for Edgar.
Good right for Munhoz. Edgar flurries back. Munhoz puts a few punches together, ending with a solid right.
Edgar with straight punches. Big left and right hook from Munhoz. Straight punches again for Edgar that comes off the guard. Crisp jab from Munhoz.
Body-head combo for Edgar. Munhoz steps into a good left hand. Two-piece combo for Edgar to end a fast-paced first round.
Round Two:
Fast hands again from Edgar. He lands a right hand that knocks Munhoz a little off-balance, but he’s fine.
Another right for Edgar and then another short flurry. Munhoz now sporting a small cut to his left eye. Munhoz looking to get his own hands going again.
left hand lands for Munhoz but misses with the right hand follow-up. Edgar slips and as he’s getting up Munhoz is landing two right hands, but then settles back into his rhythm.
Front kick upstairs attempted by Munhoz. Jab for Edgar. Good one-two for Edgar. Right hand for Munhoz and potentially a glancing clash of heads. Edgar into a takedown and lands it, but it doesn’t last for long before Munhoz is back up.
Munhoz back to hunting down Edgar on the feet. Glancing right for Munhoz. Edgar with a brief flurry but only the right really gets through. Crisp jab from Munhoz. Spinning kick to the body from Edgar now.
Edgar working a takedown again, but just a partial one there and Munhoz back to striking quickly. Hard low kick from Munhoz.
superman punch for Edgar comes off the guard. Quick one-two for Edgar to ward off the incoming Munhoz. jab for Munhoz.
Front kick to the body from Munhoz and then again. jab for Edgar. left hand lands for both men. Kick for Munhoz to the body and then a flying knee to the midsection as the round ends.
Round Three:
Leg kick for Munhoz and then a glancing punch. Edgar with a left hand. Now a right. Front kick to the body from Munhoz.
Body punches from Edgar. Missed head kick for Munhoz. Jab from Munhoz, punches in return from Edgar and then a kick for Munhoz.
Right and then a left for Edgar. Munhoz with a kick. Jab lands for him. Body kick from Edgar. Right hand gets through for Munhoz. Solid one-two from Edgar. Right hook for Munhoz. Now a front kick to the body and tries for one upstairs.
Jab connects for Munhoz. And again. Now a leg kick and another one. LEft hook for Edgar. Hook from Munhoz. Edgar with a hook too now.
Right for Munhoz, two punches in response from Edgar. Jab for Munhoz. A couple of leg kicks for him too. Edgar walks into a solid jab from Munhoz.
Another left hand for Munhoz. Both men landing here. Left hook for Munhoz. Solid leg kick from Munhoz and Edgar is feeling those. Left hand connects for Edgar in the midst of a flurry.
Jabs for Munhoz. Edgar’s nose bleeding now. Right hand for Edgar. Good one-two for Edgar. That crisp jab again for Munhoz. Now threatening with a winging right hand. Spinning kick to the body from Edgar grazes the target towards the end of the round.
Round Four:
Jab for Munhoz. Edgar looking to return fire. Edgar with a nice takedown, but Munhoz gets quickly back up. Jab for Edgar.
Now a left hand from Edgar. Right hand for Munhoz and a flurry from Edgar. Jab lands solid for Munhoz. Both exchange and Munhoz blasts him with a left and right hook. Edgar flashes out those quick hands, but not weilding the same power as Munhoz.
heavy body kick from Munhoz and then a push kick. jabs from Edgar. Good connection on the right hand from Edgar.
Edgar back to the jab. Another one-two. Back to the jab. Now the body from Edgar, but Munhoz counters with a solid punch to the jaw.
Hard leg kick for Munhoz. Jab from Edgar. Another leg kick for Munhoz. Triple jab for Edgar and then a one-two, but coming off the guard.
Edgar connects, but then Munhoz counters with a bigger hook. Edgar flurries and Munhoz counters with punches of his own that don’t quite find a home.
jab for Munhoz. Then an outside leg kick. Punches for Edgar. Now a nice body punch. another leg kick for Munhoz.
Jab for Munhoz again. Another leg kick for Munhoz. Edgar comes forward with punches and fakes a takedown.
Right hand scores for Munhoz. Leg kick for Munhoz knocks Edgar off-balance just for a split second. Spinning body kick again from Edgar.
Hard right hand from Munhoz to end the round nicely.
Round Five:
Front kick to the body from Munhoz and then again. He just misses with a head kick. Two punches for Edgar. He tries for a takedown, but doesn’t get it.
Leg kick from Munhoz and Edgar’s leg seems to buckle a little. Another leg kick and then Edgar with hard punches to the body. Again he goes to the body. Now he’s pumping out the jab.
Front kick to the body from Munhoz. Jab for him. Left hands from Edgar and he connects more as Munhoz also lands too.
Good one-two for Edgar. Front kick to the body from Munhoz. Spinning backfist attempt from Edgar comes off the defense.
Right hand from Munhoz and then a high kick. Good left hook during a flurry from Edgar. Leg kick for Munhoz. Glancing right hook and then back to the leg kick.
Another glancing right hook from Munhoz. Now a push kick. Jab for Edgar. Both men exchange at close range. Hard right connects from Munhoz, snapping Edgar’s head back.
Leg kick for Munhoz. Now a good jab. Another leg kick. Edgar bursts forward but misses with his flurry. Solid right for Edgar.
Punches from Edgar, but punch and then a leg kick in response from Munhoz. Solid jab for Munhoz. Right for Edgar. Edgar with two punches but a harder counter from Munhoz.
Right for Edgar. Edgar lands to the body. Munhoz with a solid right. Punch for Edgar, kick from Munhoz. Munhoz with a spinning kick as the round ends.
Decision:
This was a great fight then – fast paced and highly competitive, with Edgar having a bit more volume in his work and threatening with brief takedown attempts at times, but Munhoz having more power in his punches and heavy leg kicks that took their toll over the course of the fight.
The result is in and it’s Edgar who emerges with a split decision victory (48-47 x2, 46-49). A big moment for Edgar then in his bantamweight debut and that sets him up for a potential title run at 135lbs, while Munhoz may feel a little hard done-by to not have his hand raised on the night.
