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Tapology: Now that you can talk a little more freely about your last fight, were you nervous at all during your training camp that you might not be able to win or were you confident the whole way through?
Edgar: I think everybody has some kind of doubts going into any fights, especially in MMA where anything can happen, but I think those doubts help you train and help you stay focused. I’m a pretty positive person when it comes to fighting.
Tapology: Do you remember what was going through your mind during the walk-in at UFC 112?
Edgar: Just like every fight, I just want to hurry up and get in there. I was waiting so long for that fight that I didn’t want to wait any longer.
Tapology: The fight was very close, especially the first three rounds. Did you feel that you were ahead on the scorecards after those rounds or was it not in your mind?
Edgar: I was just focused on chipping away at him, and I know I get stronger as the fight goes on. I felt that I won, but I knew they were close, and that’s why the last two rounds were crucial.
Tapology: Penn hit the ground twice in that fight, once when you tripped him and then again in the fifth round when you took him down. When you took him down it didn’t look like you tried to keep him there. Why was that?
Edgar: I just think he did a great job of getting up. I lost control of the situation and I would’ve stayed on top of him longer if I could have.
Tapology: Whether or not they think you won, most people would agree that you made BJ fight your fight. During the fight, were you consciously thinking about implementing your game plan or is that something you just train and rely on your body to react once you get in there?
Edgar: It’s a little bit of both. Muscle memory comes in big time, but I really have to thank my corner for keeping me on my toes the whole time because it’s easy to get sidetracked when you’re in there.
Tapology: You guys always have a better idea of what was going on during the fight than we do watching. Was there anything about BJ’s game that surprised you during the fight?
Edgar: BJ showed up and I knew he was going to show up, man. He caught me a few times with some jabs and hooks coming in; I expected him to be quick to the punch and he was.
Tapology: There has been a lot of talk over the scoring of the fight. After the fight, whether or not you thought you won, did you expect the judges to give it to you?
Edgar: It comes back to the whole positive thing. I just stayed positive and when I heard the 50-45 score, my corner said that was me and I thought I won. I don’t necessarily know if I won every round, but I thought the fight went my way.
Tapology: Before the talk of a rematch surfaced, did you get some time to sit back and enjoy the moment?
Edgar: I enjoyed it that night. It was great to see my family happy for me, but you don’t want to sit there and dwell on it too much because you have to go in there and defend it again.
Tapology: How did it make you feel when many people were already talking about the rematch before they would even recognize you as the rightful champion?
Edgar: You know, I’ve been like Rodney Dangerfield in this for a while now, so it’s cool. My family and my team are really the only people that I care about. If BJ fans thought he won then that’s fine, man. Fans like certain guys and that’s who they stick by.
Tapology: Given the controversy, did you think BJ would be granted an immediate rematch?
Edgar: I guess if anybody’s going to get it at lightweight then it’s going to be BJ. He’s been dominant for so long that he definitely deserves it.
Tapology: Now that you have the belt, does your mindset change now that you are defending the title rather than trying to win it?
Edgar: I don’t know since it is my first title defense and all. Being the way it is now, I feel like I have to defend my name again with all of the naysayers saying I didn’t win. It’s almost like I’m in the same role I was in for the last fight. Does it really matter, though? Two guys are going to fight and one’s going to win. The title definitely matters a lot, but it’s still a fight.
Tapology: One of the main things you have shown throughout your career is your ability to stick to your game plan. Now that you are fighting for validation in this rematch, is there any danger in fighting too aggressively to try to make this fight more definitive than the last?
Edgar: I don’t know, man. I think BJ poses enough threats that I can’t go in there and let my pride get in the way of my game plan. I think the fact that BJ has a kind of aura around him is going to keep me focused.
Tapology: You’re both obviously going to make adjustments for the rematch. In a general sense, what does it take to beat BJ for a second consecutive time?
Edgar: It’s a little bit of a guessing game. I’m going to have to think about what he’s going to change and then I’ll change my game plan based on that. My biggest goal is always to be a better fighter than I was my last time out. After the last fight I took a week off and then I was back in the gym. I think I’ve already improved at this point, so if I improved this much then it should take care of itself. That last fight was all stand-up, so this one could end up like a grappling match, but you never know since there are so many facets to MMA.
Tapology: Talking about your mindset again, do you do any sort of mental training or preparation to make sure the pressure doesn’t get to you and to keep control of your emotions or does it come naturally?
Edgar: I just focus, but so far the pressure hasn’t gotten to me. I just show up and do my thing, so that’s how I try to approach it.
Tapology: You are the UFC Lightweight Champion no matter what anyone wants to say. How are you going to keep it that way in August?
Edgar: I’ll keep it that way by executing my game plan just like I did last time. Hopefully I’ll improve to the point where I’m not the same guy I was in April.
Edgar: I think everybody has some kind of doubts going into any fights, especially in MMA where anything can happen, but I think those doubts help you train and help you stay focused. I’m a pretty positive person when it comes to fighting.
Tapology: Do you remember what was going through your mind during the walk-in at UFC 112?
Edgar: Just like every fight, I just want to hurry up and get in there. I was waiting so long for that fight that I didn’t want to wait any longer.
Tapology: The fight was very close, especially the first three rounds. Did you feel that you were ahead on the scorecards after those rounds or was it not in your mind?
Edgar: I was just focused on chipping away at him, and I know I get stronger as the fight goes on. I felt that I won, but I knew they were close, and that’s why the last two rounds were crucial.
Tapology: Penn hit the ground twice in that fight, once when you tripped him and then again in the fifth round when you took him down. When you took him down it didn’t look like you tried to keep him there. Why was that?
Edgar: I just think he did a great job of getting up. I lost control of the situation and I would’ve stayed on top of him longer if I could have.
Tapology: Whether or not they think you won, most people would agree that you made BJ fight your fight. During the fight, were you consciously thinking about implementing your game plan or is that something you just train and rely on your body to react once you get in there?
Edgar: It’s a little bit of both. Muscle memory comes in big time, but I really have to thank my corner for keeping me on my toes the whole time because it’s easy to get sidetracked when you’re in there.
Tapology: You guys always have a better idea of what was going on during the fight than we do watching. Was there anything about BJ’s game that surprised you during the fight?
Edgar: BJ showed up and I knew he was going to show up, man. He caught me a few times with some jabs and hooks coming in; I expected him to be quick to the punch and he was.
Tapology: There has been a lot of talk over the scoring of the fight. After the fight, whether or not you thought you won, did you expect the judges to give it to you?
Edgar: It comes back to the whole positive thing. I just stayed positive and when I heard the 50-45 score, my corner said that was me and I thought I won. I don’t necessarily know if I won every round, but I thought the fight went my way.
Tapology: Before the talk of a rematch surfaced, did you get some time to sit back and enjoy the moment?
Edgar: I enjoyed it that night. It was great to see my family happy for me, but you don’t want to sit there and dwell on it too much because you have to go in there and defend it again.
Tapology: How did it make you feel when many people were already talking about the rematch before they would even recognize you as the rightful champion?
Edgar: You know, I’ve been like Rodney Dangerfield in this for a while now, so it’s cool. My family and my team are really the only people that I care about. If BJ fans thought he won then that’s fine, man. Fans like certain guys and that’s who they stick by.
Tapology: Given the controversy, did you think BJ would be granted an immediate rematch?
Edgar: I guess if anybody’s going to get it at lightweight then it’s going to be BJ. He’s been dominant for so long that he definitely deserves it.
Tapology: Now that you have the belt, does your mindset change now that you are defending the title rather than trying to win it?
Edgar: I don’t know since it is my first title defense and all. Being the way it is now, I feel like I have to defend my name again with all of the naysayers saying I didn’t win. It’s almost like I’m in the same role I was in for the last fight. Does it really matter, though? Two guys are going to fight and one’s going to win. The title definitely matters a lot, but it’s still a fight.
Tapology: One of the main things you have shown throughout your career is your ability to stick to your game plan. Now that you are fighting for validation in this rematch, is there any danger in fighting too aggressively to try to make this fight more definitive than the last?
Edgar: I don’t know, man. I think BJ poses enough threats that I can’t go in there and let my pride get in the way of my game plan. I think the fact that BJ has a kind of aura around him is going to keep me focused.
Tapology: You’re both obviously going to make adjustments for the rematch. In a general sense, what does it take to beat BJ for a second consecutive time?
Edgar: It’s a little bit of a guessing game. I’m going to have to think about what he’s going to change and then I’ll change my game plan based on that. My biggest goal is always to be a better fighter than I was my last time out. After the last fight I took a week off and then I was back in the gym. I think I’ve already improved at this point, so if I improved this much then it should take care of itself. That last fight was all stand-up, so this one could end up like a grappling match, but you never know since there are so many facets to MMA.
Tapology: Talking about your mindset again, do you do any sort of mental training or preparation to make sure the pressure doesn’t get to you and to keep control of your emotions or does it come naturally?
Edgar: I just focus, but so far the pressure hasn’t gotten to me. I just show up and do my thing, so that’s how I try to approach it.
Tapology: You are the UFC Lightweight Champion no matter what anyone wants to say. How are you going to keep it that way in August?
Edgar: I’ll keep it that way by executing my game plan just like I did last time. Hopefully I’ll improve to the point where I’m not the same guy I was in April.
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